This report summarizes the work done in five regions of the developing world to identify both the textbooks used and those needed for communication studies and, particularly, for the education of journalists and other media workers. The work began as a regional project in Anglophone Africa already in 1986. It expanded three years later to include two subregions from Asia, the whole of Latin America and most of the Arab world. When the project became interregional it developed into a unique forum for communication educators and their professional associations from various parts of the world - including the industrialized North - to exchange information and start cooperation in improving teaching materials and curricula.

The report is based on regional and national surveys and bibliographies prepared by several teams under the general coordination of a Project Steering Committee appointed by the Professional Education Section of IAMCR/AIERI. The project administration was handled by the Section headquarters at the University of Tampere in collaboration with the new IAMCR/AIERI President's office in Amsterdam. The compilation of the final report was done by the two of us as agreed by all team members. Before its submission to UNESCO/IPDC it was reviewed by a Monitoring Committee appointed by the IAMCR/AIERI International Council (Dr. Josiane Jouet, Paris; Prof. Manuel Pares i Maicas, Barcelona; Prof. Robert White, Rome). All of them made valuable suggestions in their reviews of the final draft.

The project wishes to acknowledge, in addition to the financial assistance of UNESCO/IPDC, the hospitality of the International Institute of Journalism in Berlin (former GDR) as well as the Hungarian office of the International Organization of Journalists, which hosted the meetings and workshops of team members from different regions.

The present undertaking is just one stage in an ongoing process. We are looking forward to continue the project with Phase II.