The event will be held June 8, 2012 at Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration, Center for Urban and Public Service, 111 Washington Street, Newark, NJ. (Directions and Travel) Registration and coffee starts at 8:45 am; the program starts at 9:30 am.

A prominent scholar and a leading practitioner are the keynote speakers:

Sheila S. Coronel, Columbia University's Toni Stabile Professor of Professional Practice in Investigative Journalism and director of the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism; and

Kevin Whitmer, editor of The Star-Ledger.

Other confirmed speakers include:

• Kahraman Haliscelik, UN Bureau Chief for Turkish radio and TV.
• Nancy El Shami, an independent Egyptian journalist who has reported on the Arab Spring protests in Cairo.
• Salma Ghayoun, a Syrian pro-democracy activist.
• Gary Pierre-Pierre, editor-in-chief of the Haitian Times.
• Jongwoo Han, professor of political science and information technology at Syracuse University.

Newspaper, radio, TV and online journalists from 20 or more countries are expected to attend. The conference is co-sponsored by the School of Public Affairs and Administration and by the Center for Media and Peace Initiatives, a New York-based organization of journalists from around the world who are stationed in the New York area. The organizing committee includes reporters from Nigeria, China, Ghana, Spain, Cameroon and Poland.

Dr. Marc Holzer, Dean of the School of Public Affairs and Administration, said "Journalists are an essential link between government and citizens. How they report the news can inhibit or promote governance that is honest and effective. We therefore look forward to developing a relationship with news people who seek to improve how their countries are governed."

"Diaspora journalists have the capacity to inspire change in undemocratic countries with new sources of information to scrutinize their home governments, orchestrating international pressure against unpopular policies," Dr. Uchenna Ekwo, chair of CMPI, said. "Most journalists are trained in the art and science of reporting, but they have not received training in the content of government or public affairs. Our partnership with Rutgers is designed to fill that gap."

The June 8 conference is the first of a planned series of events to improve media practices that promote press freedom. It will be followed by a week-long institute, featuring more in-depth examination of the issues, and a four-course online certificate program taught by Rutgers faculty. The courses, each five weeks long, are:

1. Public performance measurement – tools for assessing government efficiency and effectiveness.
2. Journalism and government – the relationship between reporters and media, working with bureaucrats and public agencies.
3. Political culture – how to understand and work effectively within the culture of the reporters' home countries.
4. Policy analysis – how to understand and report government plans and actions, including public budgets

The June 8 conference is open to the public.

Registration fee includes lunch and is $59 until May 18, and then $69 if space is still available.

To register : Visit https://spaanwk.scholarchip.com and click "conferences" in the left hand menu

For additional information : Professor Michael Gershowitz at mgersh@andromeda.rutgers.edu