DHAKA, MAY 19 -- Journalists are slated to spend two days, May 19-20, 2013, at a training workshop designed to help them understand avian and pandemic influenza so they can better inform the public on how to prevent outbreaks.

The workshop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, will address the ABCs of avian influenza, the role of animals in spreading the illness and the economic and social implications of an outbreak.

The journalists will also look at the ethics of health journalism, discussing how to provide accurate and responsible coverage in case of an outbreak.

Presenters will include officials from the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Bangladesh Poultry Industries and the Civil Defense and First Services.

Instructors will guide the reporters in developing stories, using crowd-sourcing and social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook. In hands-on sessions, journalists will write stories.

The workshop is one of a series that the State Department has sponsored around the world to better prepare journalists for any avian influenza outbreak. Other sessions have been held in Indonesia, Vietnam and Dubai for Afghan journalists.

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