Professional development
The Media Education Center provides journalism students the opportunity to work in an “immersive learning environment” and access to multiple media platforms. MEC is open to students enrolled in journalism programs at Georgian Universities and also started offering trainings for media professionals.
Internews Georgia offers training programs with an emphasis on multimedia, web journalism and technological tools as part of its program to strengthen independent journalism and access to quality facts and information both centrally and in the regions of Georgia.
GIPA Training Center offers regular trainings for journalists and public relations professionals. GIPA is part European Journalism Training Association (EJTA). GIPA’s Frontline Georgia Club offers journalism trainings as well as public discussions and film screenings on ethics and journalistic standards. Frontline Georgia is associated with Frontline Club (UK).
The Caucasus University runs training programmes and professional courses for media professionals. Tbilisi State University, Ilia University and a number of other state and private institutions run trainings for journalists on an irregular basis.
The Georgian Charter of Journalism Ethics started a media school in 2018 through funding support from National Endowment for Democracy (NED). This program will train 15 students over five months in journalism skills.
Topical journalism trainings, such as environmental journalism or court coverage, are offered by non-governmental organisations interested in better awareness and improved coverage of issues of public importance. For instance, the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (Rondeli Foundation) runs annual seminars for professional journalists on current issues in public policy and administration, economics and trade, electoral politics and international relations.