Program Coordinator: Farda Asadov

     OSI media programs have focused on training for the electronic media, mainly through grants and other programs run in co-operation with Internews Azerbaijan. This partnership with Internews was formed because the foundation felt it could make the quickest impact on society through the electronic media. The foundation's programs with Internews has had two focuses: one was on equipment and training program to develop a national electronic news network, the other was on training for regional station managers, advertising staff, cameramen and editing staff. OSI media programs have focused on training for the electronic media, mainly through grants and other programs run in co-operation with Internews Azerbaijan. This partnership with Internews was formed because the foundation felt it could make the quickest impact on society through the electronic media. The foundation's programs with Internews has had two focuses: one was on equipment and training program to develop a national electronic news network, the other was on training for regional station managers, advertising staff, cameramen and editing staff. In 1998 we granted Internews $66,251 and in 1999 $33,942.

While establishing this program, OSI-Azerbaijan set the following goals:

• Improve training available within journalism departments
• Improve skills of working journalists, particularly social science and language skills
• Provide legal support for independent media
• Support press monitoring and development of press standards and watchdog organizations

     Training
     Training is always a vital task within any program or project. The main goals of the mass media training program are to develop the skills of potential future journalists and improve the training and curriculum within journalism departments. In addition, the Mass Media program develops important skills in working journalists such as social sciences, economics, law, and English language. Lastly, it provides print journalists with international experience in older, larger, and more established newspapers.

     Journalism faculty training
     Through a combination of textbook purchasing/translation and with the training assistance of the Network Media Program, the foundation plans to address some of the deficiencies in the main journalism departments at Baku State and other universities.

     Workshops for working journalists
     The foundation offered a grant to local media NGOs to develop a training program for journalists in the social sciences, economics, and law areas. A Grant was given to The Committee for protection journalists of Azerbaijan "RUH".

     Russian internships for print journalists
     With the support of the Network Media Program and OSI-Russia, the foundation developed an internship program with Russian newspapers.

     Legal support
     Our main goals within the legal support program are: