CERIC in cooperation with Communication Department Ohio University, USA, with full supports from Communication Department – University of Indonesia and Aliansi Jurnalis Independen (AJI), will have a training and internship program for TV journalist. The project aims to raise professional standards in the reporting of issues of cultural and ethnic diversity and conflict by local TV journalists in Indonesia. The grant will bring TV journalists from Indonesia to Ohio to study how U.S. media cover conflict and ethnic and cultural diversity in their communities.

This program will select 18 participants through an open competition designed to ensure balance in gender, region, religion and ethnicity, and between government and non-government TV.

The project will begin with a one-week workshop in March 2007 in Jakarta on conflict reporting led by Ohio University journalism professor Mary Rogus. In late June participants will come to Ohio University for a two-week seminar at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, followed by three-week internships at TV stations in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton and Zanesville. While in the U.S. each Indonesian journalist will produce a feature-length story on cultural and ethnic diversity and conflict resolution. The Indonesian journalists will be engaged in the daily work of their U.S. counterparts including: accompanying reporters and videographers as they cover stories on cultural and ethnic issues and community conflict; observing coverage of community meetings and forums; attending daily newsroom meetings and meeting with assignment editors and producers; meetings with journalists from other media outlets to discuss how cultural and ethnic issues are covered, and the pressures faced by journalists; and meetings with local government officials and representatives from ethnic associations and community groups. Six Ohio TV journalists will undertake one-week consultancies at the participants' stations on 2007.

For more information and application form, please go to www.ceric-fisip.ui.edu (application form is only in Bahasa Indonesia version).