Radio Tavisupleba Media School Opens In Georgia

TBILISI, Georgia — Twenty aspiring journalists in Georgia are set to begin a year of hands-on training in modern media. RFE/RL’s Georgian Service, Radio Tavisupleba, is partnering with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and IREX to launch the Radio Tavisupleba Media School, a new one-year certificate program in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

The certificate program is part of the G-MEDIA project and is open to students of all ages and from all professional and academic backgrounds. A highlight of the program is the facility — the new, ultra-modern Multimedia Education Center. The building was designed and built specifically for G-MEDIA and is outfitted with the latest in media production technology (see video below).

“The school will offer students hands-on training and education in multimedia production, digital media, and editorial policy,” says Radio Tavisupleba Director David Kakabadze. “Students will produce content for radio, television, and the web — the best of which will also be showcased by Radio Tavisupleba.”

In addition to the education center, Radio Tavisupleba now offers a “learning-by-doing” externship at its Tbilisi bureau, open to experienced journalists who seek further professional development. Successful applicants will work side-by-side with RFE/RL staff for two months, producing content across all platforms, and learn tools of the trade from journalists with decades of experience.

“This school and internship program will give Georgia’s next generation of journalists the sort of training that they can’t get anywhere else,” says RFE/RL President Steve Korn, who was on hand for the school’s official opening in March. “Our journalists represent the height of professionalism, and these programs are testament to that.”

For more news from RFE/RL’s Georgian Service click here.