Media exchange: 10 journalists selected for scholarship

Five Afghan and five Pakistani journalists have been selected for the Pak-Afghan Media Exchange Programme, under a media collaboration initiative launched by Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), said a press release.

The selected journalists from Pakistan are: Umer Draz Nangiana (The Express Tribune), Razeshta Sethna (The Herald), Niaz Ahmad Khan (AVT Khyber News), Ajmal Bashir (Dunya News) and Abdul Bari (Balochistan Today).

From Afghanistan Noorullah Shayan, Abdul Satar Alokozai, Abdul Shafi Azizi, Kawoon Khamosh and Sayeed Jamal Zekri have been  selected.

The 10 journalists were selected from a large pool of applicants by a 14-member advisory board that comprised renowned media personalities in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The board decided the applications on the basis of the strength of the story idea suggested, the experience of the journalist, and language, medium and coverage of the media organisation concerned.

The journalists from Afghanistan will visit Pakistan for around a week in late April or early May to complete research for their reports. Then Pakistani journalists will go to Afghanistan.

Applications are now open for the next phase of programme, and the successful applicants are likely to be selected in June.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2012.