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U.S.-Armenia Professional Partnership in Journalism Program

COUNTRIES: Armenia
DURATION: 09/20/2023 - 06/30/2028
FUNDER: U.S. Department of State
PARTNER: U.S. Embassy in Armenia, Poynter Institute
CONTACT: [email protected]
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Program Description

In partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan and the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, the U.S.-Armenia Professional Partnership in Journalism (PPJ) Program enables Armenian journalists to visit the United States in a training program to improve their understanding of disinformation, strengthen their reporting skills, and cultivate U.S. relationships.

The PPJ Program consists of three main segments: four two-week professional exchanges for print and online journalists, broadcast reporters, editors, and media managers; two one-month fellowships for 10 participants selected from the first two cohorts; and $20,000 in targeted assistance awarded to four of the ten fellows’ media organizations in Armenia to adopt approaches to build resilience to misinformation and promote journalism’s role in a free society.

The program is sponsored by the U.S. Embassy Armenia and aims to enable journalists to support the Armenian media sector’s overall resilience, increase the professionalism and skills of media practitioners, and foster sustainable networks between U.S. and Armenian journalists and organizations.

For more information, please visit the U.S. Embassy in Armenia website.

Program Goals

  • Enable Armenian journalists and media professionals to return home with new ideas, expanded professional networks, and increased knowledge of how informational and investigative journalism can advance civil society and inform the public about critical issues facing Armenians and the Caucasus region;
  • Provide participants with the resources and professional connections to amplify their work;
  • Encourage participants to promote journalism’s role in a free society and support Armenian journalists and media organizations in building resilience to misinformation.

Program Application

Participants will:

  • Be professionals working in the Armenian media sector (print and online journalists, broadcast journalists, editors, or media managers) with at least two years of experience in the field
  • Be proficient in conversational English
  • Have interest or expertise in fact-checking, media literacy, reporting, leadership, digital transformation, and audience engagement
  • Be able to work effectively with people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds

We also seek candidates with excellent interpersonal and communication skills, demonstrated leadership potential, strong analytical and critical thinking skills, and a commitment to the program and follow-on activities. Those selected will come from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, organizations, and political orientations. We also aim for gender balance.

The program organizers will arrange and cover FAA-compliant economy-class flights, all program-related transportation, medical insurance during the program, double-occupancy hotel accommodations, COVID testing as needed, meals, and social activities during the event. The program organizers will also make visa arrangements for all participants in coordination with U.S. Embassy Yerevan.

Applications are now open for editors to apply for the third cohort scheduled for May 10-24, 2025. The application must be completed in English. The deadline for applying is December 31, 2024. Please note that due to the volume of applications, we will only contact semi-finalists following the closing of the application.

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