The Investment Climate Facility (ICF) for Africa and the Thomson Reuters Foundation have announced a new partnership that will offer a groundbreaking training programme for business journalism in Africa.

The programme will focus on raising the standards of business, financial and investment journalism across the continent with the aim of ensuring that greater trust is put in the region’s media reporting. Both ICF and the Thomson Reuters Foundation believe that greater scrutiny of investment and business issues, more timely and accurate reporting and a culture of delivering impartial news will help drive popular demand for investment climate reform.

Media organisations are invited to recommend applicants for the introductory programme which will be delivered in French, English and Portuguese. The first of these introductory sessions will be held in Nairobi, Kenya on 23-27 March 2009, followed by a second session in Dakar, Senegal on 20-24 April 2009. In total, six separate introductory sessions will be run throughout the continent. 

From these introductory sessions a group of 20 journalists, who demonstrate the greatest potential, will be invited to join one of two advanced one-week training programmes at an international centre of commercial and reporting excellence in either London, Paris or Lisbon. As part of the course, participants will have the opportunity to meet international peers, exchange ideas and experiences, visit the international stock exchanges and immerse themselves in the heart of the country’s business and commercial operations.

 ICF's Chief Executive Officer, Mr Omari Issa, explains: “This is an important project as it will not only increase domestic and foreign confidence in regional reporting but will also increase awareness of the importance of the investment climates for the future of Africa. We truly believe that financial and business reporting should be ‘by Africa for Africa’.

“This project is unique for ICF as we are engaging directly with people who have a very real and vital impact on how the overall investment climate within Africa is perceived. If we can succeed in improving the accuracy of reporting on investment issues, we will have made a real breakthrough in ensuring the continent is well-equipped to translate improvements into wider economic progress.”
 
Monique Villa, CEO of The Thomson Reuters Foundation, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with ICF in delivering such a groundbreaking training programme. The delivery of accurate and relevant news in Africa is crucial for the overall development of the continent. By sharing the skills and reporting principles that have made Reuters the world’s most highly respected and trusted international news agency, this project will have enormous long-term implications for business in Africa.”

The course programme will be delivered by The Thomson Reuters Foundation. The intensive five-day workshops are tailored for ambitious African business journalists who want to broaden their focus, enhance their skills and deepen their understanding of economic and business issues of relevance to the continent, and internationally.  Participants will convert theory into practice through frequent exercises and story-writing against tight deadlines, all built on simulated economic news scenarios. Detailed briefings, expert guest speakers, group discussions and a field reporting trip are core elements of these challenging courses. There will also be opportunities for participants that excel in each of the introductory courses to attend the advanced course in either London, Paris or Lisbon.

Applications forms are downloadable from: www.icfafrica.org and from the Thomson Reuters Foundation website and must be received by February 20th, 2009. ICF will fund all training programme fees and accommodation and media organizations will be required to cover the costs of journalists’ flights and allowances. The selection of suitable journalists will be conducted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

For more information on this project, ICF and its projects, or to request an interview, please visit www.icfafrica.org or contact Weber Shandwick. 

For further information on the ICF or the course, please contact:

 Emilienne Macauley
 Phone: +255 222 129 211
 email : emacauley@icfafrica.org
 Sophie Capron
 Ph: +44 (0) 207 067 0280
 e-mail: scapron@webershandwick.com

For further information on The Thomson Reuters Foundation, please contact:

Victoria Brough /  Carmen Murray
 +44 207 250 1122

Notes to editors:

About ICF:
The Investment Climate Facility for Africa is a unique public-private partnership between government and business that aims to help Africa create a more attractive business environment and realize its potential as a global player and trading partner.  ICF works to remove real and perceived obstacles to domestic and foreign investment by assisting Africans to prepare and promote the continent as an investment destination. ICF success is measured against higher levels of investment, faster economic growth, enhanced business opportunities and sustained returns for investment. ICF has the support of key Africa institutions, international development partners and private sector companies.

About the Thomson Reuters Foundation:
The Thomson Reuters Foundation was created in 1982 to support journalists from developing countries. The Foundation today embraces a wide range of educational, humanitarian and environmental causes and projects including online news and communications services for the international disaster relief community, aid agency support, and educational and community projects. Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF) has been training journalists for more than a quarter of a century and has several thousand alumni in more than 170 countries. Its workshops, held around the world, promote the core values of fast, accurate and impartial reporting that have made Reuters one of the world’s most read and trusted sources of news.