Summary: Training on Reporting Disaster and Reconstruction
01-04 December 2015 ( 15 – 18 Mangsir 2072), Bhaktapur DAP/NMDC
National Media Development Center (NMDC) organized four days journalism training on Reporting Disaster & Reconstruction from 1- 4 December 2015, in Bhaktapur. DAP 2015-2016 of the Australian Embassy had supported the program. This was NMDC’s 89th journalism training.
HE Mr.Glenn White, Australian Ambassador to Nepal addressing the session
In the training, there were 20 energetic and young working journalists including 16 girls from different media outlets. All reporters actively participated in the training and gained both theoretical as well as practical reporting skill on the theme of “Disaster and Reconstruction”. The participant reporters were from Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Kathmandu, Rasuwa and Dhading districts. They were 9 from print, 6 from FM radio, 1 from TV, 1 from News Agency and 3 were journalism students.
Special two inaugural and concluding sessions were also organized. Chief District Officer Toyam Ray had inaugurated the four days training on the first day. Similarly, HE Glenn White, the Australian Ambassador to Nepal had distributed participation certificates to the journalists at the end of the session.
Trainees with HE Glenn White & Trainer R.K. Regmee
Australian Ambassador to Nepal, HE Gleen White distributing certificates to the participants said, ‘Journalists should be accountable and they should work being on the top position. Their duty is to provide accurate information to the people rather than to create hope for them.” Encouraging the journalists, he remarked that it is always easier to write bad stories and bad things but to write the best story is always hard. Ambassador expressed his happiness for being able to be a part to enhance reporting skill of the young reporters on the most relevant issue of the nation.
Addressing the inaugural session, CDO Ray said, ‘ The responsibility of the journalists during disaster is higher. We need to provide high value to journalists as they write sufferers’ story without writing their own story though they themselves being sufferers. That is big contribution to the society’.
Participants in the classroom
In the four days sessions, reporters had gained theoretical knowledge about the emergency journalism: its highlights; implications, disaster reporting: its objectives, audience, style, linkage with journalistic norms of presenting stories for mass media, online, social media, verification of sources, facts, dealing with authorities during disaster and handling social media information. Other topics included were: cases of disaster reporting, policies of the government, what the journalists should do and what not during disaster reporting? What are the challenges to the journalists while reporting on disaster? Making capable to reporters on the use of multimedia.
They were involved in presenting, writing and listening exercises and photography. Trainers had given cases of the disaster on flood, damaged historical sites, and lost villages during the earthquake. The participants had written the news on the basic of given information. Later, trainer had provided feedback on their work.
They also learned their role, role of news-desk, disaster preparedness at district level, tools for disaster: breaking news, follow-up news, news digest; public opinion; running story etc. Participants were encouraged to prepare disaster map of the district and write stories continuously to inform the public as well as concerned authorities. The effort of media builds awareness about possible disaster to the general people and the authorities and helps save them.
After the training, all participants had developed ‘Individual Work-plan’ for post training reporting. They have identified around 40 disaster and reconstruction related issues for the reporting. NMDC has promised to make necessary follow-up, guidance if necessary and feedback on training outcome after reviewing their work.
Trainers Prof. R.K. Regmee, Shreeram Singh Basnet, Badri Tiwari had facilitated the training. NMDC as per its planning had also hired local resource persons from office of District Administration and Nepal Red Cross Society.
HE distributing certificate to trainees
FNJ President of Bhaktapur branch Amar Bhuju had chaired both sessions. Vice President of FNJ Bhaktapur Som Sharma had welcomed and Jagat Prajapti had run the special sessions. Senior journalists, reporters of national media working in Bhaktapur were present at both sessions. Similarly, Krishna Bahadur Karki , Program and Research Officer of the Australian Embassy was present at the closing session.
On behalf of NMDC, FNJ and the Australian Embassy, Mr. Bishnu P Sharma (Executive Director, NMDC) welcoming the participants and guests had highlighted the theme, contents and methodology of the four days training. Mr. Sharma had coordinated whole four day sessions.
Participants
In total, 2176 (941 female) participants have participated in the training of NMDC including NMDC’s this 89th training organized in Bhaktapur.
Major Achievements of the training: The major achievements of the training are as follows:
- Participants identified 40 disaster and reconstruction related issues and placed them under their Individual Work Plan ( issues are given in the detail report).
- 20 young journalists including 16 women became able to dig out disaster and reconstruction related issues and write them continuously following learned guidelines and tools,
- Confidence on writing news on disaster and reconstruction related issues developed,
- Reporters visualized about the role and responsibility of journalists in disaster reporting,
- Need to make disaster map of the district for continuous reporting identified,
- Journalists learned the skill of photography
- Presentations, writing and listening skills heightened their confidence level. bishnu.nmdc@gmail.com
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