In a knowledge-based global economy where market forces shape interactions and relationships, there still seems to be an inadequate capacity to access and process the explosion of information. The challenge for the Egyptian media is to organize the abundance of economic data so that it can provide intelligible and useful information to the public.
More than 20 reporters participated in four half-day workshops in Cairo, plus study tours to Tunis and Turkey. Working closely with the Economic Media Training Center, CIPE organized comprehensive sessions on topics from market economics to the role of financial institutions in transition economies. Presenters included prominent business leaders, economics professors and policy makers.
"Globalization is one of the most charged issues of the day, and it is everywhere in public discourse, with opponents claiming it hurts the world's poor, while supporters see it as a high-speed elevator to universal peace and prosperity," said Randa Al Zoghbi, CIPE's Cairo Office Director. "It is essential for journalists tasked with objectively covering this issue to have at least a basic understanding of the underlying economic factors behind globalization," she added.
The Tunisian Chamber of Commerce and the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation in Istanbul, both CIPE partners, were visited by the Egyptian participants to observe regional organizations deeply involved in accession to the WTO.