A Network of Organizations Dedicated to Journalism in the Americas
Organizations Dedicated to Journalism in the Americas Create a NetworkOrganizations Dedicated to Journalism in the Americas Create a Network
AUSTIN -- Representatives of 23 journalism organizations from 11 countries gathered Feb. 12-13, 2004, for the Second Austin Forum on Journalism in the Americas. Participants took part in a training session to strengthen the capacities of their organizations, and proposed creating a permanent network dedicated to improving journalism throughout the hemisphere.
The Austin Forum, a project of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at the University of Texas, was originally conceived as an annual gathering of independent journalism organizations. But participants at this year's event agreed to turn the forum into a permanent network of associations, which will maintain a dialogue throughout the year, through the Internet, seeking more collaborations.
"The simple act of uniting so many journalism organizations under one roof and sharing their experiences is, by itself, very powerful," said Rosental Alves, director of the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas. "But the creation of a permanent, active network of these organizations can lead to many more concrete activities to improve the quality of journalism in the Americas."
Representatives of the organizations participating in the Austin Forum said that by creating a permanent network and keeping open channels of communication among them it will be possible to avoid duplication of efforts and develop joint projects, such as those that have already emerged from the meetings in Austin.
The network is operating through an email listserv, established on the University of Texas computer system, that interconnects executives of all the participant organizations. It also will be supported by a special area of the Knight Center Web site that is under development.
The First Austin Forum, in February 2003, united representatives from eight countries and 20 organizations, resulting in several partnerships and collaborations. Those organizations returned for the 2004 Forum, which also attracted first-time participants from Argentina, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, and Trinidad.
In addition to the journalism groups, participants also came from other international organizations, including the Avina Foundation, McCormick Tribune Foundation, and the Inter-American Development Bank.
The journalists participated in a workshop on "Empowerment Evaluation" by Dr. David Fetterman, professor of education at Stanford University. They also took part in a collaborative discussion, "Creating or Strengthening Self-Sustainable Organizations to Serve Journalism and Press Freedom in the Americas," facilitated by Peter Cleaves, executive director of the Avina Foundation.
Participants of the Austin Forum 2004 included:
*Cecilia Alvear, National Association of Hispanic Journalists/NBC News
*Pedro Enrique Armendares, Investigative Journalists-Mexico
*Susan Shattuck Benson, Trust for the Americas/OAS
*Eduardo Bertoni, Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, Organization of American States
*Luis Botello, International Center for Journalists
*Joan Caivano, Inter-American Dialogue
*Cristiana Chamorro Barrios, Fundación Violeta Barrios de Chamorro, Nicaragua
*Maribel Cuervo de Paredes, Latin American Journalism Center (CELAP), Panama
*Donna De Cesare, University of Texas School of Journalism
*Wesley Gibbings, Association of Caribbean Media Workers, Trinidad
*Charles Green, International Media Center, Florida International University
*Mark Hallett, McCormick Tribune Foundation
*Luz María Helguero, Red Periodistas de la Provincia del Perú
*Brant Houston, Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE)
*Amy Johnson, International Women's Media Foundation
*Jaime López, Periodistas Frente a la Corrupción, El Salvador
*Maria Martin, GraciasVida Productions and Training, Guatemala.
*Julio Muñoz, Inter American Press Association (IAPA)
*Francisca Ponce Kaplan, Foundation for a New Iberoamerican Journalism (FNPI), Colombia
*Santiago Real de Azua, Inter-American Development Bank
*Leonarda Reyes, Center for Journalism and Public Ethics (CEPET) Mexico
*Fernando Rodrigues, Brazilian Association for Investigative Journalism (Abraji)
*Daniel Santoro, Argentine Journalism Forum (FOPEA)
*John Ullmann, World Press Institute
The Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas was created by Professor Rosental Alves at the University of Texas at Austin School of Journalism in August 2002, thanks to a generous donation from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Its main objective is to help journalists in the hemisphere to develop self-sustaining training programs that will raise the ethical and professional levels of journalism in the Americas.
For more information about the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas, contact Dean Graber, program manager, deangraber@mail.utexas.edu.
Added Jul 31, 15:15, 2008
|
|
