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Russia-U.S. Young Media Professionals Exchange Program

The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) is now recruiting American journalists to take part in the first year of a new two-year initiative – the “Russia-U.S. Young Media Professionals Exchange Program.” The first round of the month-long exchange is set for April 2012.

ICFJ, which is implementing the program with a Russian partner, the Moscow Union of Journalists, has received a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to support its work in the program.

The Young Media Professionals Exchange Program is an outgrowth of the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission’s working group on media. The program will offer participating journalists the chance to work in newsrooms and build professional relationships with one another and mutual understanding between their countries.

The deadline for U.S. journalists who want to apply is Friday, January 20, 2012.

Participants will be selected in February.

Applicants must be under 30 years of age, with at least three years of experience.
Strong preference will be given to candidates who speak English and Russian.

At the beginning of the exchange, the 12 selected U.S. journalists will spend several days meeting officials and media leaders in Moscow, while their 12 Russian counterparts do the same in Washington. They will then work at media organizations for as long as one month.

ICFJ will coordinate the selection of suitable U.S. news organizations for the Russian journalists, and the Moscow Union of Journalists will find media hosts for the American participants.

The Moscow Union of Journalists also will recruit the Russian participants as well as plan the program for the U.S. participants and cover their expenses in Russia. Russian journalists who wish to apply should contact the Moscow Union of Journalists by email at ujmos1990@mail.ru and assistant@mk.ru.

The exchange program will be repeated in 2013 for 12 more U.S. journalists and an additional 12 Russian journalists for a total of 48 young journalists.

Read the press release.