On Human Rights Day, Journalists for Human Rights celebrates with new projects and partnerships

Canada's leading media development organization launches a new project in Jordan, contributes to an international reporting guide, and announces a new partnership with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

TORONTO, Dec. 10, 2013 /CNW/ - Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) marks Human Rights Day 2013 with several major new projects to increase media coverage of human rights issues around the world.

Today, JHR launches a new, two-year project, based in Amman, Jordan. The project will train 100 journalists and journalism students, and will gather data on freedom of expression violations and gender discrimination - strengthening the Jordanian media and increasing data-based human rights coverage

"In Jordan, especially in the case of human rights issues, there is a strong need for facts supported by data in a largely opinion-based media," explained Naregh Galoustian, JHR Program Manager. "This work will expand public dialogue on human rights in Jordan through the power of data."

In Jordan, JHR will work with the Jordan Media Institute, Community Media Network and the Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists. The project is supported by the U. S. Middle East Partnership Initiative.

Also launching today is A Reporter's Guide to Covering the Millennium Development Goals, a new publication from the International Press Institute. JHR's Executive Director, Rachel Pulfer, contributed a chapter on the international impact of MDG coverage, offering tips and tricks for journalists to transform worthy statistics and stories into compelling journalism.

Later this month, JHR will begin a new partnership with the CBC, contributing to its new Aboriginal-focused website, cbc.ca/aboriginal. With CBC, JHR will publish stories about Aboriginal youth leadership projects commissioned from leading Aboriginal youth journalists across Canada. The stories, produced in collaboration with the The Tyee, are part of the Leading Together series, a venture supported by the J. W. McConnell Family Foundation.

"JHR is thrilled to be working with the CBC to publish excellent Aboriginal journalism. This is a strong part of JHR's ongoing commitment to strengthening Aboriginal journalistic talent in Canada," explained Rachel Pulfer, JHR Executive Director.

JHR's work strengthens journalists and media organizations to report ethically and effectively on human rights stories. On Human Rights Day, it is more important than ever to keep human rights in headlines.

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Notes for Editors:

Journalists for Human Rights (www.jhr.ca ) is Canada's leading media development organization. JHR helps journalists build their capacity to report ethically and effectively on human rights and governance issues in their communities. Since 2002, JHR has trained over 12,500 journalists whose stories have reached over 50 million people.

JHR currently has projects in Jordan, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Tanzania, and Northern Ontario.

SOURCE: jhr (Journalists for Human Rights)