MUMBAI: The Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), in cooperation with Bloomberg Television Asia-Pacific have announced their partnership for the ‘Asia Working 2006’ co-production workshops, that will train 15 Asian broadcast journalists from national, terrestrial broadcast companies throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
The initiative was launched today with a gathering of television journalists at the 14 ILO Asia Regional Meeting in Busan, South Korea.
Content produced from the initiative will scrutinise the implications of employment and workplace issues on trade, economics and commerce in the participating journalists’ home countries. The final product, consisting of short documentary features and news items for the ‘Asia Working’ series, will be made available for exchange among other ABU member broadcasters. Asia Working 2006’ is a continuation of the ‘Asia Working’ project launched last year, informs an official release.
Broadcast journalists participating in the initiative represent the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Bangladesh Television, Hong Kong Cable Television, the Broadcasting Corporation of India, Fiji Television, Radio Television Malaysia, Nepal Television, Geo TV Pakistan, ABS-CBN Philippines, MediaCorp Singapore, Sri Lanka Rupavahini, Channel 5 Thailand, ANTV Indonesia, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, and Bhutan Broadcasting.
Participating broadcast journalists will also participate in a workshop at the Bloomberg Television newsroom and studios in Hong Kong in November. Bloomberg will provide a trainer and executive producer to address the participants in instilling best practices and professional techniques in identifying and reporting on the economic and financial implications of the workforce issues.
ILO director communication Zohreh Tabatabai said: "The ILO is pleased to continue this innovative media initiative with the ABU and welcomes the expertise that Bloomberg TV will bring to the project. The ILO is committed to giving Asian journalists and their viewers access to the best information, research and analysis relating to work and workplace issues."
ABU secretary-general David Astley said: “We are pleased to be partnering with ILO once again and to have Bloomberg on board this year in this second ‘Asia Working’ series. The exchange of such human-interest stories focusing on labour among broadcasters will help to promote awareness and allow audiences from different parts of Asia understand the labour issues faced in the region today.”
This ABU-ILO co-production workshops and series will draw on expertise in reporting on economic trends and labour issues gained through the production of series such as Bloomberg’s ‘Changing Jobs’ which deals with unemployment, worker education, wage trends and executive recruitment in Asia.
“Bloomberg is recognised for its comprehensive reporting on economic and financial issues which are directly related to labour and workforce issues. We look forward to working with the national terrestrial broadcasters across the Asia-Pacific through the ABU and with the ILO on labour issues and to contribute to raising the standards of production for this CO-production series,” said Bill Dorman of Bloomberg Television Asia-Pacific.
