NMDC’s 88th Training: Local Reporters Inspired

Training on: Reporting Disaster & Reconstruction 4 – 8 November 2015 (18 – 22 Kattik 2072) Bidur, Nuwakot

National Media Development Center (NMDC) organized five days journalism training on Reporting Disaster & Reconstruction in in Nuwakot supported by the U.S. Embassy Kathmandu. Seventeen-17 young working reporters including 14 girls actively participated in training and gained reporting skill on the theme of disaster and reconstruction. Two of the girls were from Rasuwa district. All participant reporters were from FM radio stations, daily and weekly newspapers and local Trishuli TV Channel.

In the five days sessions, they had gained theoretical knowledge about basic reporting tools of journalism including news, elements of news, sources of news and basic knowledge of disaster, pre-disaster, during disaster, post disaster and reconstruction reporting. In the training technical idea about multimedia use was also discussed and practiced. Other topics included were: 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? Do the reporters have basic knowledge on the use of multimedia?

 

In this training, they also gained practical skill on photography and video. They engaged actively in practical sessions. The sessions mainly were- presentation, group field reporting, discussions on several issues, presentations on different topics, writing news on disaster and rebuilding, issue identification, sketching maps, visit Google mapmaker,  photography, and taking video clips for the preparation of news stories.

Group work, field reporting, news writing, issue identification and Google map and photography were important practical sessions of the training.

The participants of Nuwakot were relatively unaware of the google map as they had not used frequently, so the session had become interesting for them. For all participants, the training became inspiring to sharpen their reporting skill.  At the end of the five days training, they had become confidence to prepare a good news in different topics. They became able to identify several post disaster issues that were not raised before. The field reporting assignment encouraged them that ‘reporting should be based on facts.’  Four groups had presented their stories on four different themes. The topics were:

Group	Name of Participants	Topic
A.	Nawaraj Subedi, Gopiram Adhikari, Anita Adhikari,       Lalita Khati Krishna Khadka	Situation of victims after disaster
B.	Saraswati Neupane, Pabina Shyangba, Shakti Maya Tamang, Rina Khanal	Physical situation of school building of Bidur
C.	Rupa Aryal, Samjhana Upreti, Purnima Shyangba, Kamala Magarati	Encroachment of public land by the victims
D.	Hari Bogati, Jamuna Gajurel, Alisha Ale Magar, Kopila Tamang	Post disaster health situation in Nuwakot district

 

 

Other issues they had identified during training sessions were:

1. Encroachment of forest in the district after disaster,
2. Problem in recognizing of real victims in relief distribution
3. Rising pain of victims during festivals
4. Reconstruction work in shadow
5. No distribution of committed relief amount by the government
6. No attention to renovate historical sites of the districts
7. Policy of the government to build new  public buildings not declared
8. Technical study of the suspension bridges in the districts
9. Unequal distribution of relief
10. Lack of food and shelter to pregnant women
11. No relief distribution in the remote villages of the district
12. Security of children and women
13. Lack of drinking water-Rasuwa

Victims of remote villages of Rasuwa have not received relief. Situation of women, old aged people and children-Rasuwa

1. Reconstruction work in Rasuwa not started
2. Bad condition of health service in the district-Rasuwa
3. Education of children in remote villages of Rasuwa
4. No room/place to store harvested paddy both in Rasuwa and Nuwakot

Achievements:

What the participants learned from the five days training?

• “I learned that we should practice journalism following basic tools of journalism. Before this, we were doing journalism without knowing basic journalistic skills. This training encouraged me to do professional journalism,” Hari Bogati
• ‘We learned how to take photo, how to put heading of news and code of conduct for journalists’ Lalita Khati.
• ‘Training encouraged me to be responsible journalist’- Ram Krishna Khadka
• ‘This training provided me clear idea about the role of journalists whether it may be in disaster reporting or in other reporting’ Pabina Syangba
• I learned different ideas to write news during disaster-Anita Adhikari

 

Brief inaugural and closing sessions were held in the first and last day of the training. Chief District Officer Umesh Prasad Dhakal had inaugurated the five days training. At both sessions, senior journalists of the districts, Chief of different media houses were present.

On behalf of NMDC, FNJ and the U.S. Embassy, Mr. Bishnu P Sharma (Executive Director, NMDC) had welcomed the participants and guests and had highlighted the theme, contents and methodology of the five days training. President of FNJ Nuwakot Prakash Adhikari had chaired both sessions. He also distributed the participation certificates. At the end of the session, Executive Director had thanked U.S. Embassy Kathmandu for their support and FNJ Nuwakot for their coordination.

In the training, Trainer Laxman Adhikari, and trainer Sujit Kayastha had facilitated in five  day’s sessions. Narayan Prasad Risal, LDO of Nuwakot and Bishnu P Sharma of NMDC had also presented in the training.

It was the third training of the year 2014-2015 (Fifth Phase) focused on disaster reporting and reconstruction organized in association with the U.S. Embassy, Kathmandu. First training was organized in Dadhing whereas the second was organized in Kavrepalanchowk in Sept. 2015.

In first phase 2010-2011, NMDC had organized trainings in Doti, Parbat, Dolakha, and Panchthar districts focusing to women journalists. Similarly, in second phase year 2011-2012 remote districts such as Humla, Gulmi and Rasuwa were covered.

And, in third phase 2012-2013 trainings were conducted in Rolpa, Dolpa and Bhojpur. Districts Udayapur, Jumla and Salyan were selected for 2013-14. NMDC is the pioneer media training organization of Nepal. Training organized in Nuwakot was the 88^th training organized in 66^th out of 75 district of Nepal. In total, 2156 (925 female) participants have participated in the training of NMDC including Nuwakot.

NMDC’s 101st Journalism Training at Lamjung completed

Journalism Training Focused on Development Reporting 05-09 June 2017 (22 – 26 Jeth 2074): Lamjung

National Media Development Center (NMDC) with the financial support from Department of Information, Ministry of Information and Communications and in coordination with FNJ Lamjung branch has successfully organized a five-day Journalism Training Focused on Development Reporting. It is NMDC’s 101^st journalism training was organized from 05-09 June 2017, (22 – 26 Jeth 2074) in Lamjung district. NMDC is the pioneer organization working for the rural media empowerment in Nepal. It has organized reporting trainings in 71 out of 75 districts of Nepal. In total, 2418 participants including 1076 women have got reporting skill from media training.

Journalism training focused on development reporting gave high priority to new as well as working reporters. There were 20 participants including 15 women in Lamjung. Among them 11 participants were taking part in the training for the first time however all of them were involved in local print and FM radio stations.

NMDC focuses on development issues aiming that after the training the trainees become aware and able to bring development issues rather than political. In the context of Nepal, the present need is economic development, which is backbone of democracy and independent media.

The training became fruitful to all participants, as they clearly understood the theme of the training and participated actively in all sessions. For the first three days, the course covered the principles of basic journalism, news identification, news writing, experience sharing, field reporting and presentation together with the concept of development reporting. In other days, it focused on writing skill, interview skill, and other dimensions of development reporting.

The issues apart from journalism principles and reporting techniques covered in the sessions were new media-Facebook, Flicker, Blog, Twitter, Google search, Google mapmaker, development, tourism, culture, district profile and economic reporting and code of conduct for the journalists.

Together with several class exercises, presentation and news writing, one field reporting assignment had provided a great practical knowledge and confidence to the reporters. They had told that the field reporting assignment had inspired and gave them a clear idea to be a reporter.  Even in a short period, they had become able to recognize and identify issues, categorize issues and write them on day-to-day journalism practice. They also have learned that journalists should keep in mind the code of ethics for journalists.

FNJ President Aash Gurung had chaired the inaugural session. Inaugurating the training session, he welcomed the trainers and participants and asked them to take maximum benefit from the senior trainers, which is rarely available in the country.

Chief District Officer Yubaraj Mainali inaugurating the five-day training highlighted the need of training for fact based journalism. At the inaugural session Mayer of Beshisahar Municipality Guman Singh Aryal, Local Development Officer of District Coordination Committee (DCC), Dilliram Sigdel, leaders of media organizations and political parties had also expressed about  the need and importance of training.

Trainer Badri Tiwari, FNJ Central Committee member Kisan Sangit Nepali, former President Nabinraj Kuikel were also present at the session. Bishnu Prasad Sharma, Executive Director of NMDC welcoming on behalf of organizer, Department of Information and FNJ had highlighted the content, objective of the five days training. At that time, he briefly informed the rural district focused training programs organized by NMDC has provided writing skill to the reporters and encouraged them to be professional reporter. He also said that the training would be beneficial to both new and working journalists that will help to bring development isuues at local level. Badri Tiwari, Bishnu P Sharma, Aash Gurung, and Dilliram Sigdel had facilitated the training.

NMDC had distributed both pre and post training questionnaires by involving trainees. The concept they had mentioned in the form had shown that the training was successful to transfer basic skill to the participants.  In five days, there were different sessions.

At the end, a brief closing session had also been organized in participation with senior journalists, DCC, FNJ members, and local journalists. FNJ President Aash Gurung had chaired the session. Dilliram Sigdel from DCC distributed the certificates to the participants. Basanta Bhatta participanthad expressed their training experience. She said the training had developed their confidence and encouraged them to be good journalists.

Achievements of the training:

1. Participants learned that professional journalism is essential
2. Local issues are the development issues and should be covered in local media, and
3. Confidence level of journalists increased.