Establishment of a Center of Journalism Excellence

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An enormous appetite for professional training exists among Pakistan’s journalists. The industry has expanded rapidly in the past decade with the privatization of television but the training opportunities have not kept pace. Journalism education emphasizes the theoretical over the practical. The majority of Pakistan’s media companies do not offer training to their staff and salaries are low, so journalists struggle to pay for training themselves. Thus the proposal to create a Center of Journalism Excellence will fill a major gap in providing much needed journalism skills training. The Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad announces an open competition for a cooperative agreement to establish a Center of Journalism Excellence (CJE) by a U.S. or foreign university housing a journalism school of international stature, or U.S. or foreign media development organization that offers in-service professional development training for journalists of the highest quality. Accredited U.S. four-year colleges and universities must meet the provisions described in Internal Revenue Code section 26 USC 501(c)(3). Strong preference will be given to applications in which the primary grantee is explicitly linked with a Pakistani partner institution(s) and there is a clear path to sustainability. Additional preference will be given to proposals that include cost sharing by a foundation or non-governmental organization.

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