Lung Health Media Training 2013 Paris, France

The Journalist to Journalist Project of the National Press Foundation and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease received nearly 300 applications for this year’s all-expenses-paid fellowships for health journalists to cover the 44th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Paris, France. The 15 fellowship winners -- listed below -- attended three days of expert training from 29-31 October, then covered the conference through Sunday, 3 November 2013. We designed the three-day J2J program for working journalists who want to increase their knowledge and skill at developing stories on lung health and related issues, including tuberculosis; TB/HIV; asthma, COPD, diabetes, tobacco control and the impact of air pollution. Journalists shared their own work and heard presentations from world-class experts on these diseases, the extent and impact of the problems they present (including social, political and economic impacts) and new research, solutions and innovations in the pipeline. The sessions provided presentations and discussions with experts, as well as practical training in turning scientific information into effective print and broadcast stories The Union World Conference on Lung Health is the largest annual conference focusing on lung health issues as they affect low- and middle-income countries. The theme of the 2013 conference was “Shared Air, Safe Air?” More than 3,000 delegates from 120+ countries attended. (For more details, www.worldlunghealth.org)