Without investigative skills and knowledge of election laws, politics and tricks, news coverage of elections tends to be superficial. To help journalists avoid that tendency, Internews Pakistan is organizing a training workshop on election reporting. Nomination deadline: January 15, 2007.

This three-day workshop will take place in February in Islamabad. Print, radio or TV outlets can nominate their journalists for one of the 20 available spaces. Nominees should have at least three years of political reporting experience.

According to Internews Pakistan, media coverage of elections in the country has been focused largely on personalities and promises instead of issues. The reporting also tends to lack any focus on how laws or policies supported by a party would actually affect people. This workshop aims to train journalists on ways to dig deeper with their election coverage and provide more meaningful reporting.

There is no registration fee, and Internews encourages women to apply. Participants from outside Islamabad will receive two-way transportation, room and board.

For more information, contact najeeb@internews.org.pk or visit http://www.internews.org.pk/pNewsDetail.php?NewsID=8.

Nomination form: http://www.internews.org.pk/NewsLibrary/E-Nomination%20form.doc.