Media group Bertelsmann launches new journalism academy

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Media group Bertelsmann , owner of magazine publisher Gruner + Jahr and broadcaster RTL, has launched a new journalism academy to mark its 175th birthday.

The International Academy of Journalism will offer workshops and online learning courses to groups of journalists, focusing primarily on new journalists and those working in countries where press freedom is threatened.

Students will be selected for academy scholarships by an advisory board of Bertelsmann journalists and authors, as well as non-members of the group. To qualify for a place, students must show commitment to press freedom and innovative use of new media, says the group.

Plans for the academy are still in development and teaching will not begin until the end of 2011, according to a release from Bertelsmann . Teaching will include mentoring from experienced journalists and a one-year e-learning course.

The academy, which will have its headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, will work with Bertelsmann's journalism schools in Germany, the Henri Nannen School and the RTL School of Journalism.

"We don't just want to show how elemental important press freedom is, but also that we feel the future belongs to well-trained, globally networked journalists with high standards of quality. The new media offer unprecedented opportunities and open up the most efficient imaginable means for reaching and supporting journalists locally," says Bertelsmann chairman & CEO Hartmut Ostrowski.

The academy will seek partnerships with international press freedom advocates and organisations. Those interested in enrolling in the academy can apply themselves or be nominated from 2011.