Press TV journalists released

Two British journalists working for Press TV have been released after four weeks in detention in Libya.

Gareth Montgomery-Johnson and Nicholas Davies had been arrested by a Libyan militia group, accused of spying.

According to Britain’s Guardian newspaper, Abed al-Menemayad, head of the media and international cooperation office at the Interior Ministry, said: “They have been released and tomorrow they will leave the country.”

“The British consul received them and the charges against them have been dropped.”

The British embassy in Tripoli confirmed the release, adding: “The journalists have confirmed that they are well and look forward to being reunited with their families soon”.

RFE/RL and Czech Republic announce Vaclav Havel Journalism Fellowship

In a tribute to the life and work of Vaclav Havel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and RFE/RL announce the launch of the Vaclav Havel Journalism Fellowship. The inaugural Vaclav Havel fellow, Franak Viachorka, will be in Washington for a week of training beginning on March 19, and will also be recognized at a reception hosted by the Czech Embassy.

Petr Gandalovic, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the U.S., described the goals of the program by invoking the legacy of his country’s former president. “Havel was a playwright, dissident and political leader. He had an uncompromising belief in the power of words and the power of truth to unite people and overcome tyranny. This Fellowship carries the spirit of his convictions to places struggling against censorship where — even in 2012 — people are still denied the fundamental human right of free speech.”

Fellowships will afford independent journalists from countries lacking a free media six months of professional, on-the-job training and development at RFE/RL’s Prague headquarters. The program initially targets EU Eastern Partnership countries including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, and may expand to include fellows from other countries, including Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“RFE/RL has a special relationship with the Czech people,” says RFE/RL president Steven Korn. “This partnership will give promising young journalists an opportunity to work for impact in their own countries without fear.”

During his fellowship, Viachorka, a journalist and documentary filmmaker from Belarus, will train with RFE/RL’s Belarus service, Radio Svaboda. His visit to Washington will also include high-level meetings with journalists, diplomats, congressional staff members, and think tanks.

Viachorka has worked as a journalist and editor for several independent publications in Belarus, including as a freelancer for the BelaPAN news agency and the independent Polish satellite TV station, Belsat. He first came to the attention of Radio Svaboda at the age of 13 when he appeared from 2001-2002 on the program “Young Voices.” In 2006 he starred in the award-winning documentary,

RFE/RL and Czech Republic announce Vaclav Havel Journalism Fellowship

In a tribute to the life and work of Vaclav Havel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and RFE/RL announce the launch of the Vaclav Havel Journalism Fellowship. The inaugural Vaclav Havel fellow, Franak Viachorka, will be in Washington for a week of training beginning on March 19, and will also be recognized at a reception hosted by the Czech Embassy.

Petr Gandalovic, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the U.S., described the goals of the program by invoking the legacy of his country’s former president. “Havel was a playwright, dissident and political leader. He had an uncompromising belief in the power of words and the power of truth to unite people and overcome tyranny. This Fellowship carries the spirit of his convictions to places struggling against censorship where — even in 2012 — people are still denied the fundamental human right of free speech.”

Fellowships will afford independent journalists from countries lacking a free media six months of professional, on-the-job training and development at RFE/RL’s Prague headquarters. The program initially targets EU Eastern Partnership countries including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, and may expand to include fellows from other countries, including Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“RFE/RL has a special relationship with the Czech people,” says RFE/RL president Steven Korn. “This partnership will give promising young journalists an opportunity to work for impact in their own countries without fear.”

During his fellowship, Viachorka, a journalist and documentary filmmaker from Belarus, will train with RFE/RL’s Belarus service, Radio Svaboda. His visit to Washington will also include high-level meetings with journalists, diplomats, congressional staff members, and think tanks.

Viachorka has worked as a journalist and editor for several independent publications in Belarus, including as a freelancer for the BelaPAN news agency and the independent Polish satellite TV station, Belsat. He first came to the attention of Radio Svaboda at the age of 13 when he appeared from 2001-2002 on the program “Young Voices.” In 2006 he starred in the award-winning documentary,

Industry briefing from AIB published

The latest media industry briefing – covering programming, distribution, technology and more – has been published by AIB.

Distributed to well over 26,000 media leaders globally, the AIB industry briefing provides a snapshot of news from the international media industry.

See the latest edition by clicking on the link below.

Coming soon | launch of the 2012 AIBs

The 2012 AIBs will be launched in April with a call for entry to broadcasters and independent producers.

This international festival celebrates inspiring creativity in TV, radio and cross-media broadcasting. Entries come from around the world and our judging panel is equally international.

If you want to receive information about these prestigious global awards, contact us today on +44 20 7993 2557 or email us: register at{} aib.org.uk.