Newspaper and online media professionals from Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam are being invited to join a new WAN-Ifra development programme.

The southeast Asian countries and three in the Middle East and North Africa are the focus of a scheme to deliver leadership skills to midlevel professionals from the commercial and editorial side of newspapers and online media.

The organisation says the programme will equip them with sustainable strategies, skills and support networks to advance their careers and contribute to the growth of financially viable and editorially strong media enterprises in the region. Successful applicants will receive individual coaching to create a three-to-five year career action plan allowing them to identify strengths and weaknesses and learn how to leverage networks and gain skills needed to advance professionally.

They will also attend workshops on leadership and media management skills, and be able to network regionally and internationally networking through WAN-Ifra events.

The Media Professionals Programme is open to professionals working for a minimum of two years in middle management positions within newspapers and online media.

Successful applicants will already have a certain degree of leadership experience, have room for growth and aspire to progress within the media industry. Excellent English-language skills are a must, since all programme activities are conducted in English.

The programme welcomes applicants from all departments of newspapers and online media (editorial, marketing, administration, human resources, accounting, etc.). In total, 20 participants will be selected to participate in 2012. Women in particular are encouraged to apply for the programme. WAN-Ifra says applications are considered on an individual basis and employment in line with the above-listed criteria does not guarantee admission to the MPP programme. Applications will not be accepted from those working in radio or television at the moment.

Interested applicants should submit a completed application form, outlining their motivation for applying to MPP and how they could benefit from the programme to: md.mpdp@wan-ifra.org

The application form can be downloaded from (bottom of page) http://www.wan-ifra.org/articles/2012/05/14/media-professionals-programme-2012-application and needs to be completed and returned by June 8, 2012.

The Media Professionals Programme is part of a strategic partnership between WAN-IFRA and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency to advance media development and press freedom worldwide.  

More on WAN-IFRA media development projects can be found http://www.wan-ifra.org/microsites/media-development