ICEA has welcomed another group of journalists from <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = “urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags” />Ukraine for their April-May training program “Freedom of Press and Journalistic Ethics” in USA.
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On Monday April 28th they visited the National Press Club in Washington DC, the most prestigious journalistic organization in the United States, if not the world. Among the 12 participants was the representative of Ukrainian parliament Yuriy Stets who is responsible for the freedom of press in Ukraine.
The journalists were interested to learn how the National Press Club operates, what kind of protection it offers to journalists and how it is able to do it. Many of them were surprised to learn that journalists in USA are able to unite into organizations like NPC and speak freely without any influence of the government. This is still a new but growing concept in Ukraine.
Later in the day the group headed to Georgetown to Ukrainian Embassy where they met with Oleh Shamshur, the ambassador of Ukraine in USA, and discussed freedom of press issues, Ukrainians in other countries and Ukrainian broadcasting in USA.
The group will stay in DC for another two days to meet with US-Ukraine Foundation, speak to their colleagues from International Center for Journalists and the World Press Freedom Committee. Then they are headed to Florida for a couple of days, which concludes their 10 day stay in USA.