Azerbaijani journalists to improve skills at the Guardian and BBC

To gain insight into the professional working environments of some of the most acclaimed media outlets in the world, seven Azerbaijani journalists will be visiting the UK

By Seymur Kazimov

The upcoming trip to the UK is part of a training programme on business reporting organised by the IMS-supported Azerbaijan Media Center and its partners.

Business reporting a challenge

To prepare for the fast-paced and demanding environments of the BBC and the Guardian, the journalists have spent the past weeks on training in journalistic ethics, economic and business topics.

 Reporting on economic topics proved a challenge for some of the journalists:

-“To be honest, I experienced serious challenges while making investigations on the subjects related to economics, (…) and to make use of experts on the subject, you must be familiar with the terminology”, said Farah Sabirgizi.

Sona Abbasova of the Azerbaijani Pasha Bank, one of the co-organisers of the training explains the lack of professional skills from some Azerbaijani journalists reporting on business affairs:

– “We provide [journalists] with information, but unfortunately, many of them don’t use it correctly. Not because they are biased, but because they lack professional skills.”

Gearing up for Eurovision 2012

The training in business reporting is part of a comprehensive programme provided by Azerbaijan Media Center allowing local Azerbaijani journalists to improve their journalistic skills.

With Azerbaijan set to host Eurovision 2012, an influx of business and tourists to the country is expected, so professional business reporters will be in high demand.

The training programme is organised by the IMS-supported Azerbaijan Media Center together with the British Council and Azerbaijan’s Pasha Bank.