PAO Michael Turner talked about western standards of media to students in GIPA (October 24)

PAO Michael Turner met with Journalism Students. Photo: State Dept

PAO Michael Turner talked about western standards of media to journalism students at the Caucasus School of Journalism and Media Management (CSJMM) of the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs

PAO Michael Turner emphasized the importance of professional and responsible journalism to a group of young students in the aftermath of Parliamentary Elections and at a time when Georgia’s media is polarized like never before.   The PAO stressed government spokespersons’ obligation to establish professional relations with media as a conduit of information for the public. CSJMM student Sopho Datuashvili  wrote about  PAO Turner’s visit on the school’s website and facebook.  Here’s what she wrote:  “We can have friendly relationship but we can’t be friends as talking to a good reporter is like going into a mine field,” humorously stated Michael Turner, the Public Affairs Officer (PAO) of the U.S. Embassy in Georgia while meeting the students of the Caucasus School of Journalism and Media Management on October 24. The meeting was held at the Multimedia Education Center (MEC) and lasted more than two hours.  Mr. Turner answered dozens of questions by students about U.S. Embassy’s ongoing civil society projects, differences between American and Georgian media landscape and free journalism.  

“You as a reporters have enormous power. You are the eyes and ears of the public,“ Mr. Turner told students and listed several features he appreciated about good reporters: honesty, fairness, smartness, accuracy, fact-basing and research skills.