News from Internews

Information access for everyone

A monthly digest of news on Internews programs and activities

September 2006

HIGHLIGHTS

Internews Invited to Participate in the Clinton Global Initiative
Senator Barack Obama Interviewed by Internews' Radio Station in Chad
World Bank and Internews Hold Roundtable at Toronto AIDS Conference
The Russians are Coming!
Internews Radio Station Located in Afghanistan Gutted by Firebomb
At Strong Angel III Disaster Response Demonstration, Internews Advises on Information Dissemination
A Day in the Life of Internews 2006

Internews Invited to Participate in the Clinton Global Initiative
Internews Network has been invited to participate in the upcoming annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative (September 20-22, 2006). The Clinton Global Initiative is an invitation only, non-partisan endeavor, bringing together a carefully selected group of the world’s best problem solvers from a wide variety of political, ideological, religious, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds — including current and former heads of state, top business executives, preeminent scholars, and representatives of key non-governmental organizations — to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges.

Senator Barack Obama Interviewed by Internews' Radio Station in Chad
(September 4, 2006) Illinois Senator Barack Obama (D), who completed a four-nation trip to Africa last week, was interviewed by La Voix du Ouaddai reporter Issaka Allafouza (left) at the Abeche airport on his trip to Guereda where UNHCR is supporting Darfur refugees. La Voix du Ouaddai is a community radio station established by Internews to serve refugees from Darfur and the local Chadian population. (More about Internews' radio station in Chad) (Larger image)

World Bank and Internews Hold Roundtable at Toronto AIDS Conference
The World Bank and Internews Network held a special roundtable discussion, African News Media and HIV/AIDS, on Wednesday, August 16 at the 2006 International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Ontario. (More information) Internews also offered daily news updates from international journalists who attended the conference. The updates were posted on the Internews section of the AIDS 2006 Global Village web site.

The Russians are Coming!
The Russians Are Coming Tour, a unique Russian/American media exchange, traveled cross-country for two weeks to locations that included the hills of Appalachia, New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and the small town of Hamburg, Pennsylvania. (Full Story)

Internews Radio Station Located in Afghanistan Gutted by Firebomb
A small community radio station in Logar, Afghanistan, built by Internews, was destroyed by a firebomb in the early morning hours of August 11. The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) encouraged Internews to apply to them for funding to rebuild the station. (Full Story)

At Strong Angel III Disaster Response Demonstration, Internews Advises on Information Dissemination
(August 31, 2006) "A lethal and highly-contagious virus gradually begins to spread around the globe . . . This is the start of a scenario, as described on the web site of Strong Angel III, that provided the framework for a disaster response demonstration held in San Diego, California August 21- 26, which gathered over 800 disaster responders, technologists, relief workers, and military and civil officials to test out an array of technologies and tools for responding to a humanitarian crisis. Internews representatives Mark Frohardt and Kathleen Reen contributed their real-life expertise in using local media to disseminate life-saving information during and after a disaster. (Full Story)

A Day in the Life of Internews 2006
For Internews Network’s 24th anniversary on July 26, 2006, we asked some of our staff around the world to describe a recent day. Whether setting up emergency radio broadcasting for survivors of the May earthquake in Yogyakarta, Indonesia; training Nigerian radio reporters how to cover HIV/AIDS effectively; or leading a workshop for Pakistani radio journalists in balanced news reporting, Internews is working hard to improve access to information for people around the world. (Full Story)

NEWS FROM THE FIELD

ASIA

Afghanistan Media – a Vision for the Future
(July 24, 2006) Afghan journalists expressed confidence in the progress made by the media over the last four years, but more capacity building and support is still needed, they said during a two-day workshop organized by Internews in June. (Full Story)

Earthquake-Damaged Radio Stations in Yogyakarta Helped with New Equipment
(July 24, 2006) On May 27, an earthquake off the coast of Yogyakarta Province, Central Java, Indonesia killed more than 5,000 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless. On July 19, Internews made the first of a series of equipment donations to community radio stations in the disaster zone. (Full Story)

In Competition, Vietnamese Journalists Explore New Angles on HIV/AIDS
(July 7, 2006) Over 50 journalists from Vietnam’s television, radio and print media recently gathered in Halong Bay in one of the country’s hotspot provinces for HIV/AIDS, Quang Ninh. They came to compete – to see whose features, news reports and stories on HIV/AIDS would be judged the best. (Full Story)

Internews Addresses Health and Safety of Reporters Covering Avian Flu
(June 16, 2006) “Though human-to-human transmission of avian flu still has not been confirmed scientifically, you need to take precautions while covering the issue in the field,” Professor Luhur Suroso, the avian influenza team head in Medan’s Adam Malik Hospital, told journalists at an Internews training in North Sumatra on June 12. (Full Story)

AFRICA

Ethiopian Journalists Get Off the Beaten Track to Report on HIV/AIDS
(July 20, 2006) “The thing that struck me most on this trip? The dust!” joked Bethlehem Kiros of the Reporter newspaper after Internews Ethiopia organized an HIV/AIDS reporting field trip to one of the country’s drought-stricken provinces. (Full Story)

In Ethiopia, Women's Groups Improve Their Media Skills
(July 7, 2006) “How can we get the media to listen to us?” That was the most common question posed when 13 representatives of women’s activist groups met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in June for an Internews workshop on working with the media. (Full Story)

MIDDLE EAST

Internews Hosts Jordanian Radio Professionals in Washington, DC
(August 21, 2006) Six Jordanian radio professionals who aim to launch an independent radio station just completed a visit to Washington, DC to gain a deeper understanding of the radio industry. (Full Story)

EURASIA

Internews Helps Launch First Resource Center in Remote Tavildara, Tajikistan
(July 18, 2006) “I’ve never seen so many children’s books before,” remarked a young girl at the opening of the new USAID-financed information resource center in the remote village of Tavildara in eastern Tajikistan. (Full Story)

NORTH AMERICA

Foreign Policy Expert Carlos Pascual Joins Internews Board
August 24, 2006 — Internews Network, a non-profit organization working to improve access to information and supporting open media worldwide, today announced the appointment of Carlos Pascual to its Board of Directors. (Full Story) See also, "In Lebanon, Even Peace Is a Battle," op ed in New York Times by Carlos Pascual and Martin Indyk, August 22, 2006

INTERNEWS IN THE NEWS

Humanitarian Media

UNHCR completes distribution of 10,000 radio sets in quake zone, August 30, 2006 - Internews donated 10,000 multi-power radio sets in the earthquake hit areas of Pakistan administered Kashmir and the North West Frontier Province to help keep quake survivors informed of issues affecting them.

Good morning, Farchana!, Mail & Guardian, August 21, 2006 - a new radio station in Chad is established by Internews to provide information to Darfurian refugees.

Building media capacities to improve disaster response: lessons from Pakistan, Humanitarian Practice Network, July 2006 – by Adnan Rehmat, Internews Pakistan Country Director, about Internews' work rebuilding media after the October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan.

PAKISTAN: Quake survivors to receive radios following customs dispute, Reuters Foundation, June 22, 2006 – Internews begins distributing 10,000 radios among quake-affected people in northern Pakistan, after trying to have customs charges lifted.

Health Journalism

New study: India's HIV burden overestimated, The Hindu, August 21, 2006, by Internews Health Advisor Jaya Shreedhar

Out of the Tragedy of the HIV Epidemic,Triumph has Emerged in a Kenyan Village, Eve, July 2006, by Internews Senior Resident Advisor Mia Malan

The International AIDS Conference: A Retrospective – Do we need more?, Global AIDSLink, by Ron MacInnis, Internews Director of Health Journalism, August 2006

Conference discusses AIDS prevention advocacy and efforts, Thanhnien News, July 30, 2006 – Vietnam held a conference in Dalat with Internews Europe to discuss anti-AIDS advocacy.

Insurance companies told to extend policies to PLWAs, The Tide, July 27, 2006 – At a workshop organised by USAID, Internews and the Nigerian Business Coalition Against AIDS (NIBUCCA) participants asked insurance companies in Nigeria to put in place a policy that would accommodate people living with HIV/AIDS.

PanAfrica: Media Getting the Word Out On HIV/Aids, AllAfrica, July 26, 2006 – Internews has been improving the capacity of radio journalists in Kenya to report on HIV/AIDS.

AIDS claims 98,000 lives in Nigeria, the Tide Online, July 12, 2006 – reported at an HIV/AIDS reporting training workshop for media practitioners in Nigeria put together in partnership with Internews Network.

INDONESIA: Journalists at Risk of Bird Flu Contagion, AdnkronosInternational, June 30, 2006 – Internews Indonesia has launched an appeal for greater protection for journalists reporting on bird flu in the country.

MEDIA-INDONESIA: Reporters Get the Bird Flu Jitters, by Internews health journalism trainer Sonny Inbaraj, IPS, June 23, 2006

Conflict and Peace

Perspectives: Film documentary shows two sides of war from two villages, Armenia Now, July 17, 2006 – a documentary about 2 villages, one in Armenia and one in Azerbaijan that were separated by war. The Azeri portion was produced by Ilham Safarov of Internews Azerbaijan.

Broadcasting Humanity: An Interview With Link TV's David Michaelis, Political Cortex, June 18, 2006 – Michaelis is on the Board of Directors for Internews Network and is the Director of Current Affairs for Link TV, a multicultural satellite TV channel for Americans co-founded by Internews Network.

Asia

Open letter to President Hamid Karzai, Reporters without Borders, August 17, 2006 – the RSF letter addresses press freedom violations in Afghanistan, including the firebombing of the Internews-established radio station in Logar Province.

Pulitzer Prize Winner Promotes Investigative Journalism in Cambodia, Embassy of the United States, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, August 14, 2006 – 2006 Pulitzer Prize winner Jerry Kammer was a guest lecturer for an advanced investigative journalism workshop sponsored by Internews.

Pakistan Fights Suitcase Radio Stations, OhmyNews, July 28, 2006 – Adnan Rehmat, country director of Internews Pakistan, comments on the crackdown on illegal radio stations.

Growing attacks on journalists in Pakistan, Daily India, July 22, 2006 – Internews Pakistan published a report noting the growing attacks on journalists and their offices in Pakistan in the first six months of the year.

Killing scares media away from Waziristan, Christian Science Monitor, June 22, 2006 – Internews Pakistan Country Director Adnan Rehmat comments about the need to bring to light the dangers for journalists working in Pakistan.

Afghanistan: Conference on media to be held on Wednesday, Pajhwok Afghan News, June 12, 2006 – Internews organized a two-day conference in Afghanistan to discuss the current situation of the media and talk about future plans.

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