----------------------------Original message---------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------- Cal Pryluck, Radio-Television-Film, Temple University, Philadelphia <[log in to unmask]> <[log in to unmask]> SCREENsite -- A Film/TV-studies site on the World Wide Web URL:http://www.sa.ua.edu/TCF/welcome.htm ------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- I enclose the following information on FAO interest in third world rural print and broadcast media as of potential interest to eram-list subscribers. Sincerely, EraM Convenor Apurba Kundu -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Schools of Agriculture, Press Associations, Extension educators, Research Organizations, Schools of Journalism, Press Institutes The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is interested in improving the relevance and efficiency of rural print and broadcast communications media in Third World and former East Bloc countries, in order to make better use of these media as vehicles for fostering social and agricultural development and food security. As Chief Editor of the FAO's flagship publication, CERES magazine, I've been authorized to spend the academic year 1995-96 researching the curriculae of various teaching institutions and press associations, and to explore the possibility of establishing cooperative programs with them for training professional journalists in the techniques of agricultural reporting and development communication. Any organizations or individuals engaged in such training programs are invited to reply, explaining whether: --your institution or group offers training courses for Third World or former East Bloc journalists; --how these might be relevant to rural concerns; --what educational philosophy animates these programs; --what kind of follow-up they employ to evaluate the effects of courses; --who should be contacted for discussions as to possible future cooperative efforts. The goal of my research is to develop a variety of training programs for journalists which will a) sensitize them to the importance of rural issues; b) train them in the kinds of participatory information gathering techniques that permit rural people to find a voice through their local media; c) inculcate a respect for the value of free inquiry and balanced news coverage; d) raise the technical level of their information gathering and writing skills, especially science writing; e) help them develop methods for overcoming the obstacles to communication in their home countries; f) learn from them about conditions in their respective countries and the strategies they have employed to cope with them, in order to impart this experience to others. A number of international agencies are interested in training communicators in developing countries, and have instituted some specialized training programs for science writers. I'd like to work with others to build on such efforts and expand them to include a wider spectrum of the print and broadcast media. Any details respondents can provide about existing programs will be appreciated. Thomas Pawlick Replies to: e-mail: [log in to unmask] Fax: (396)5225.6167