IWPR Holds First-Ever Turkmenistan Training

IWPR has held its inaugural trainings for journalists and educators in Turkmenistan, one of the most closed countries in the world.

The online sessions were held on topics including new media and digital journalism, with sessions on storytelling, data visualisation and fact checking.

One March 10-12 training focused on print, online and broadcast journalists, while a subsequent workshop from March 15-19 was for journalism lecturers in Ashgabat's universities.

Launching the series of events, IWPR Central Asia regional director Abakhon Sultonazarov said that the aim was to inform Turkmen media professionals about new trends in modern journalism.

“[Our] trainers, experts and journalists from the UK, US, Russia, Ukraine and Central Asian countries are ready to share their experience and expertise with you,” he said.  

The trainings were organised with the assistance of the British embassy in Turkmenistan and the ministry of foreign affairs of Turkmenistan.

“With digitalisation and emergence of the new media, the role of journalism has been evolving,” said Alan Huyton, British embassy chargé d’affaires.

“Information is disseminated and consumed much faster and more easily through diverse digital channels and formats. Media literacy and modern tools of fact-checking are increasingly high on the global agenda.”

The trainings also served as a rare networking opportunity for Turkmen and foreign media specialists, journalists and teachers.

One participant told the orient.tm news agency that the event had been “an excellent platform for us to gain new knowledge and exchange professional experience”.

IWPR Central Asia has been implementing media projects in Central Asia since 1999, but has never previously been able to include Turkmenistan.

This report is published with financial assistance from the UK government. It does not necessarily reflect the official views of the UK government.