First of its kind in the region, the workshop focused on the effective communication strategy for people living with HIV, including conveying their message via television. During the two-day event local media trainers explained to participants from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan the basics of journalistic work. The training included discussions, role playing, presentations, and a questions-and-answers session. Participants showed a vivid interest for the question of communication with journalists and particularly for defamation issues. Trainers encouraged closer cooperation with media professionals and explained how to make press-releases more reader-friendly.

“I didn’t know anything about the work of journalists before. Thanks to this training, I now have ‘3D glasses’, which provide me with a deeper understanding of the communication problem from the other side,” said one of the participants, Maruert Sandikbaeva.

Participants also received advices from psychologists, who taught them how to stay calm during interviews and to avoid stressful communication.

Representatives of Kyrgyzstan, who were not able to attend the workshop because of the political conflict in their country, will receive similar training through Internet.