Basic Journalism Skills Development & Journalists Safety Training Workshop March 14,2022
Rural Media Network Pakistan (RMNP) organised one day ” Basic Journalism Skills Development & Journalists Safety Training Workshop in collaboration with Uch Press Club.It was held in the premises of Government Associate college Uchsharif on 14th March 2022, and attended by eighteen correspondents of print and electronic media hailing from different riverine areas of South Punjab.
Former Director Information Government of Punjab Mr Nazir Khalid and President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar ran six sessions in this one day journalism training workshop.They conducted three sessions on basic journalism and three others on journalists safety .Resource person Nazir Khalid highlighted the definitions of basic journalism,history of journalism and discussed the characteristics of a good journalist.He also briefed the participants about different elements of news.He also elaborated the specific language of journalism. He helped the journalists in learning News making, types of news, shape of news, intro making, and types of intro.
In second session, Mr Nazir Khalid delivered his lecture on resources of news, crime reporting and political reporting. He asserted on various dimensions of political beat and told the journalists of riverine areas how to tackle political celebrities with news sense. He stressed upon research and complete knowledge regarding respective beats. Resource person described few methods to get exclusive scoop. He told them technical aspects of crime beat and briefed them about precautionary measure of filing crime stories. He also described the security measures during any untoward situations. After that a practical exercise was conducted and a crime story was formulated.
In the third session Mr Nazir Khalid discussed the ethics of journalism as a profession.In general discussion mostly journalists said that they received continuous threats from feudal and drug peddlers on reporting or to raise curtain from their corruption.Mr Nazir Khalid in this session demonstrated the press laws. He explained the major clauses of law of libel, defamation and slander. He expressed the official secret act and contempt of court. He vowed that the reporting should be objective and abide by laws and a reporter must aware of the laws concerned before filing a story . Resource Person taught about interview its types, techniques and pre requisites. He told them good interview can be had with proper research and planning. The resource person described the proper methods of questionnaire making and language of the interview. He defined various types of interview questions and stressed upon the importance of open ended questions. In second topic he explained the procedure of press conference. He trained them how to cover press conference and defined Jargons of press conference in understandable language
President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar in three different training sessions highlighted the security risks for journalists working in hostile environment and underlined the need of group safety and security. Among other things participants were taught about personal safety, pre-development planning, conflict management, dealing with hostile crowds and extremists besides reaction to shooting, checkpoints, abduction and basic first aid. Question and answers session was also held inwhich the participants put volley of questions about covering honor killing ,cross firing and sectarian conflict.
Rural Media Network Pakistan distributed its Basic Journalism and Journalist Safety Training manuals along with Urdu translation of the Charter for the Safety of Journalists Working in War Zones & Dangerous Areas, and Guidelines for the individual and joint protection of investigators among participants.
A unanimous resolution was adopted in the RMNP Training Workshop under which it was demanded of Premier Imran Khan to withdraw PECCA ordinance immediately and termed it against press freedom and freedom of expression .It was further demanded of government to take all stakeholders on board for regulating social media and in curbing fake news.
Later on former Director Information Department Punjab government Nazir Khalid and President RMNP Ehsan Ahmed Sehar delivered certificates among participants Irshad Ahmed Shad,Khawaja Ghulam Shabbir,Malik khalid Mehmood,Azmatullah Sial,Sajid Anjum,Altaf Hussain,Gul Sher Kamboh,Khawaja Abrar Hussein, Ejaz Hussain Pathan,Muhammad Abrar,Muhammad Imran Sial,Siddique Ahmed Farooqi,Syed Mohsin Raza Shamshi,Imtiaz Manzoor Khan,Shehzad Shikrani,Khadim Hussain Shaheen Lashari and Shehzad Khalil Khan Badani.
Source: RMNP Uch Unit
