Media specialists from Turkmenistan learn about media environment in Kazakhstan through USAID-funded study tour

Turkmen media specialists visiting a private TV channel in Astana.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the international non-commercial organization Internews Network, in cooperation with Turkmenistan's Ministry of Culture and TV/Radio Broadcasting sent a crew of media specialists on a study tour to Kazakhstan from May 12-19, 2009.   The tour familiarized specialists with management of TV broadcasting in Kazakhstan.

The crew of eight included directors, department heads, and editors from Turkmenistan's state TV stations "Altyn Asyr", "Miras", "Turkmenistan" and "Yashlyk", as well as two students from Turkmenistan's National Institute of Culture.  Media specialists visited archive facilities, the Information Committee under Kazakhstan's Ministry of Culture and Information, the Internews Network office in Almaty, and several state and private TV and radio stations.

Media specialists from Turkmenistan prepare a group presentation on TV management with their counterparts from Kazakhstan

During the visit, the media specialists from Turkmenistan were introduced to structure, objectives, and operations of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Culture and Information, and learned about news production processes and training programs for journalists in Kazakhstan.  At TV and radio stations, the crew learned about production of programs on social, economic, cultural and entertainment themes, advertisement management, and legal and ethical challenges that media professionals experience in Kazakhstan.  Following the tour, the Turkmen participants expressed their willingness to continue such professional exchanges with their international counterparts.

Turkmen students receive training on camera operation techniques at the Internews Network office in Almaty.