The heads and representatives of 20 information services from the economic and finance line ministries and agencies will learn all aspects of how to run an efficient press service, starting from sessions on press release writing and planning press conferences to producing live broadcast interviews and using online communication systems.

“Access to information provides crucial support to enhancing transparency and accountability,” said the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Uzbekistan, Ambassador György Szabó, who spoke at the start of the course. “Openness in communication can assist people to become more active in discussing socially significant issues. State agencies can benefit from it as well since the whole process can strengthen the incentives of good governance and in this way contribute to the advancement of reforms and participatory democracy.”

The training was organized jointly with the Public Fund of Support and Development of the Independent Print Media and Informational Agencies of Uzbekistan and the International In-service Training of Journalists, a local media NGO.