Preparing Independent Russian Media for the 21'' Century:

Final Report on Cooperative Agreement 1 18-A-00-97-00274-00, December 2000 Page 6
NPI's original mission was to improve Russian media coverage (particularly of
international security issues) by helping journalists access a wide range of infonnation
and incorporate it into informative, balanced, and accurate reporting. Original projects
included press conferences for Moscow journalists, an effort to improve coverage of
issues of nuclear security and safety, and an electronic reference and journalism library to
help journalists access the wealth of information newly available with the advent of
computerized information systems and the then-new Internet.
NPIS Growth
As NPI developed and grew, it elaborated a unique approach to media assistance
- described in sections 2.3 and 2.4 below - that required significant growth. Table One
below includes the key steps in NP17s development, from the time of its establishment in
1992 through 1997, when the Cooperative Agreement began. It highlights major new
programs, new regional branches, and major new funders (with primary funders listed in
parentheses).
Table One: Milestone NPI Events Prior to USAID Cooperative Agreeinerzt
Date Event
Funder(s)
May 1992 openmg of NPI
W. Alton Jones
Foundation, Cameg~e
Corporat~on of New York,
Rockefeller Fam~ly &
Assoc~ates
April 1993
Freedom Forum
June 1993
U.S. Information Agency
October 1993
USIA
December 1993
Eurasla Foundation
December 1993
April 1994
May 1994
June 1994
September 1994
October 1994
October 1994
November 1994
March 1995
Aprd 1995
October 1995
October 1995
Covering Economics and Business project
first USIA Profess~onal-in-Residence
first seminars on election coverage
openmg of St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, and
Novos~birsk branches
first major NPI publlcat~on (on elect~on coverage)
first Knight Overseas Press Fellow
first media management semlnars
first major funding from U.S. government source
beginn~ng of exchange program between NW Department of Journal~sm and Rostov University Faculty
of Philology and Journalism
openmg of News L~brary at NPIJSt. Petersburg
beg~nning of Med~a Development Program
first Issue of Gaudearnus, award-winnmng student
newspaper in St. Petersburg established with NPIJSt.
Petersburg support
publication of Journalism and War: Coverage by the
Russiaiz Media of the MiIita~y Actzvities zn Chechnya
Standing Commission on Freedom of Information
openmg of NPIJSt. Petersburg Television Traming Studio
first New Media for a New World conference to promote
1 online publishing and computer-assisted reporting
Center for War, Peace, and the News Medla - New York University
Intemat~onal Center foi
Joumal~sts
Internat~onal Media Fund
USIA
USIA
Freedom Forum
US AID
European Joumal~sm
Network
Open Society Institute
USAID through ARD-
Checch~ Rule of Law
moeram
* u
International Media Fund
Chapter 2. Introduct~on