The UNESCO Tashkent Office promoted environmental journalism in Uzbekistan by inviting Mr Ludovic Petho (Australia), a documentary filmmaker, operator and journalist, to work with pre-service and in-service journalists in Uzbekistan on environmental issues from 30 November to 9 December 2015.

From 30 November to 4 December, the training seminar “New approaches to creating media products on environmental issues. Strengthening the foundations of social media” was organized at the Online Training Center of Youth Media Complex "Bunyodkor” in cooperation with the National Association of Electronic Mass Media of Uzbekistan (NAEMM). The training participants were young specialists from non-governmental TV and radio broadcasters – members of the NAEMM. Mr Ludovic Petho shared his experience covering environmental topics in the preparation of media products of various kinds, in particular, social videos dedicated to environmental protection, as well as environmental themes and stories for news programmes. In addition, preparations were made to launch a special series on environmental problems.

Mr Petho also gave master classes for the students of journalism faculties at the National University and the Uzbek State University of World Languages, as well as one for in-service journalists that was organized jointly with the In-Service Training Centre of Journalists and Ecological movement.

Mr Petho’s visit also allowed to discuss with the authors, and review the manuscript, of a publication for pre-service and in-service journalists on environmental journalism currently under preparation at the UNESCO Tashkent Office. The publication is prepared on the basis of UNESCO’s Guidebook on Climate Change Reporting and the findings of UNESCO’s projects related to the Aral Sea.

UNESCO’s action on promoting environmental journalism reaching out to some 100 pre-service and in-service journalists was possible thanks to the support of the Embassy of the United Kingdom and Great Britain in the Republic of Uzbekistan.