Reporter off on training course in India
Guyana Chronicle
January 5, 2007
THE Guyana Press Association's (GPA) candidate for a course in Development Journalism for Non Aligned and other developing countries left the country yesterday for India where she will be pursuing the four-month programme.
Ms. Tusika Martin, a reporter at the privately-owned Kaieteur News newspaper, will be attending the New Delhi-headquartered Indian Institute of Mass Communications (IIMC) at the full expense of the Government of India.
According to a statement from the GPA, Martin, 23, is the first media worker to benefit from such an opportunity involving the association which endorsed her application to pursue the in-depth course that focuses on Communication Theory, Economic Journalism, Reporting and Editing, and Media Freedom, Laws and Ethics.
The process of endorsement emerged out of discussions between members of the GPA executive and the Indian High Commission just weeks after the executive of the GPA was elected on October 8, 2006.
The GPA said it wished to publicly recognise the role the Government of India continues to play in the development of Guyana generally and specifically media professionals.
"We believe that such contributions are immeasurable and we look forward to an even closer working relationship between our organisation and the Government of India," the GPA said.
The association also expressed optimism that the already close bonds of friendship between the two countries will continue to be strengthened.
The media body also took the opportunity to warmly congratulate Martin and wish her well in her studies, knowing fully well that she is committed to the profession.
The course is designed to familiarise participants with topical issues that are so characteristic of the developing world. It sketches out the linkages between development, communication and media and provides significant inputs in development, communication, international relations, globalisation and national development, global trade and economy, according to the prestigious IIMC.
Several Guyanese journalists (former and current) have successfully participated in the course in previous years, among them Robert Basil, Richard B. Mahase, Indranie Deolall, Nadia Ferreira, Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud and the Guyana Chronicle’s current News Editor (acting) Mark Ramotar.
The GPA also announced that it is moving ahead with plans to offer a basic two-day orientation course for reporters shortly.
It is expected that media workers from Georgetown, Berbice, Essequibo and Linden will be invited to participate in this course expected to be the first in a series of locally organised training programmes “as we all join hands in the development of media standards”, the association said.