September 25 , 2006

Jerome Aumente, Rutgers University Professor Emeritus,
Conducts Journalism Workshops in Serbia

Jerome Aumente, Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Special Counselor to the Dean, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies, Rutgers University, recently completed two weeks of reporting workshops for Serbian journalists on business, financial and economic reporting in Belgrade and Nis sponsored by the U.S. State Department, the American Embassy and the International Broadcasting Bureau-Voice of America.

Aumente was accompanied by Stephani Shelton, a television and radio specialist in business and financial reporting with CNBC, and formerly with CBS and Dow Jones. The programs in the former Yugoslavia were held in cooperation with the Independent Journalists Association in Belgrade and The Media Center in Nis. Approximately 23 journalists participated in the two, week-long workshops, and the evaluations for both programs were very positive.

The trip also included visits to the journalism and media studies programs at the University of Belgrade and the University of Nis. The directors of both programs have invited Aumente to consider longer term planning for cooperative programs with their universities and the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies, and discussions will begin later in the Fall of 2006 and into 2007.

Aumente last conducted journalism workshops in Serbia in 1998 when he worked with a number of independent print and broadcast news organizations which opposed ousted Yugoslavian head Slobodan Milosevic who later was tried in the Hague for alleged war crimes. “It was a pleasure to return in 2006 and see radio and television stations such as B-92 now flourishing, when once they were shut by Milosevic and their staffs threatened or jailed.” Aumente said. “Work still needs to be done to foster a free and independent press, and journalists continue to ask for our help, but the strides have been very positive.”

Previous programs for journalists and universities were conducted by Aumente in Bosnia-Herzegovina where the Journalism Resources Institute he founded had a long term exchange program with University of Sarajevo. He also conducted programs in Croatia, and more recently in Macedonia and Montenegro.

“There is still much we can do with the professional journalist associations and the universities to assist in the creation of independent and responsible news media in the former Yugoslavia , but much progress has been made,” Aumente said.

Contact Information: Professor Jerome Aumente, Long Mountain, 617 Seven Oaks Drive, Bentonville, Virginia 22610 Tel: 540-635-6395

e-mail: aumente@scils.rutgers.edu