On winning the “Youth Correspondents of Uruguay” initiative, organized by the U.S. Embassy of Uruguay, Helen Bernatzky, along with three other Uruguayan female correspondents, visited The Washington Post, Voice of America, and the Foreign Press Center as part of a reward trip.
The competition was organized to promote journalism as a career in Uruguay. In the first round, participants wrote an essay connecting the provinces they came from with the United States of America. 18 out of 400 teenagers were selected for the second round that was comprised a four-part intensive seminar series.
Over the course of the year, the selected students interacted with professional journalists, TV station personnel, politicians, U.S. envoys, and photojournalists. While they learned the tricks of the trade, each participant was given a netbook, a video camera, a bag, and a jacket with the program’s logo.
Finally, the four winners, Helena Barnetzky, Manuela García, Georgina Kluver, and Cynthia Rocha, were celebrated at the ambassador’s residence and were awarded with a trip to several media houses in USA. They also got the opportunity to meet the Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Tara Sonenshine, without whom this enriching initiative could not have been possible.
The Youth Correspondents of Uruguay was a successful initiative for promoting journalism in the country. Along with getting exposure to US media houses and having interactions with well-established journalists within Uruguay, students also learned the values of professional commitment, credibility, and honesty; the role of public opinion, the relationship between the internet and journalism, and good workplace behavior.
Creative Commons Love: U.S. Embassy Montevideo on Flickr.com
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