The Hindu Business Line : IFC, Reuters Foundation to train journalists

The IFC Global Corporate Governance Forum and the Reuters Foundation have come together to design a training programme and a toolkit for journalists reporting on corporate governance issues.

The two have signed an agreement to enhance the ability of the journalists and ‘help them report on governance more effectively’.

The first workshop under this initiative would be held in Belgrade in October , the IFC said in a release.

Spreading Information

According to Ms Teresa Barger, IFC Director for Corporate Governance and Capital Markets, the role of the media in raising the awareness of the people about corporate governance issues “is critical in fostering good corporate governance practices worldwide”, and reporting on these issues promoted awareness of best practices.

She said “the media is often quicker than regulatory bodies” in identifying lapses and was also a key agent in building general support for good corporate governance and in spreading information regarding better corporate governance.

The IFC official said the project would comprise two series of workshops based on presentations, case studies, exercises, and discussions with corporate governance stakeholders and institutions. In the beginning, Southern Europe and the West Asia and North Africa would be targeted with subsequent workshops planned for Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Media Professionals

A key component of the project was sharing publications, tools, and lessons learned, drawing on the expertise of IFC and Reuters.

The workshop materials would be shared with other media professionals beyond those participating in the programme, the official added.