ANKARA

Turkey’s top news provider Anadolu Agency and state aid agency TIKA on Tuesday launched an online diplomacy journalism training program.

Addressing the introductory session, Anadolu Agency's News Academy Director Cihangir Isbilir emphasized the importance of media training programs for the capacity building of journalists.

"We will provide basic media training, as well as newsgathering techniques," he said.

The three-day program has brought together 29 media persons from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and Bosnia and Herzegovina via video conferencing.

Ugur Tanyeli, a senior TIKA official, said virtual sessions are being organized due to the coronavirus pandemic. More than 300 participants have been trained in the last year, he added.

Saying that such programs also contribute to improved bilateral relations, Tanyeli said: "These training will equip the correspondents with skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the profession, and to further develop their existing skills."

Topics such as "Diplomacy Reporting," "Crisis Regions and Conflict Analysis," "Agenda and Resource in International News," "Basic and Advanced Interview Techniques," as well as "The Middle East in International Journalism" and "Europe in International Journalism" are included in the module.

*Writing by Merve Aydogan