Media professionals interact with students in a video conference. WAM

Imran Mojib, Special Correspondent

The second edition of Ithmaar media training programme for school students, organised by Sharjah Press Club - an initiative of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), concluded successfully. The training programme, conducted remotely over two weeks, was attended by 25 students who got a sound grounding in various areas of journalistic and media work by top media experts and professionals in the country.

The first of its kind media training for students covered areas like media education, print and electronic media, television presentation, data journalism, social media, and photojournalism etc. The trainees were also taken on a virtual tour of the popular television programme, “Good Morning Ya Arab” hosted by the MBC network.

Those who shared their professional expertise and insights with the future media professionals included Executive Director of Emirates News Agency (Wam) Muhammad Jalal Al Raisi, Dean of the Mohammed bin Rashid College of Information and Director General of the MBC network Dr Ali Jaber, Deputy Editor in Chief of Al Khaleej newspaper Jamal Al Duwairi, Sky News Arabia’s Faisal Bin Hariz, Dubai TV’s Mohammed Al Kaabi, Head of Photography at Al Ittihad newspaper Sultan bin Adi, and graphic designer of Emarat Al Youm Maher Al Johari.

SGMB Director Tariq Saeed Allay said that the Sharjah Press Club has been hosting initiatives like Ithmaar throughout the year, as part of the SGMB strategy to spread media awareness among all members of society, especially in students and youth.

Allay pointed out that students who took part in the Sharjah Press Club programme reflected the passion of the new generation for media and a future career in the media, especially in view of modern technologies that give them an opportunity to express themselves and broadcast and publish easily and conveniently.

The participating students lauded the Sharjah Press Club for promoting media awareness in students and preparing them for a future career in media. Such programmes have become an urgent necessity in the current era and to create an informed media generation, especially with the rapid spread of misinformation and the constant changes taking place in the sector, they observed.

During the second week of the first of its kind initiative in the country, participating students were trained in digital, print and photo journalism techniques.

Muhammad Jalal Al Raisi, Executive Director of Emirates News Agency, explained the basics of publishing and its mechanisms, and how to create good journalistic content for online media.

Al Raisi stressed that the great developments taking place in the era have expanded the media field, especially with the diversity of modern technologies, and the availability of various convenient publishing platforms. He pointed out that press values are constant, but what differs in the digital media is the way content is presented.

Jamal Al Duwairi, Deputy Editor in Chief of Al Khaleej, shed light on the critical differences between the print and digital press, with an explanation of the mechanism through which the published material passes.

He emphasised that ascertaining the authentic sources of news and ensuring that the correct information is provided to the readers is of utmost importance.

The students also got acquainted with the basics of photojournalism through the interactive content presented by Sultan bin Adi, who outlined the methods of photography and the techniques of successful photojournalism.

The Sharjah Press Club launched the first edition of the Ithmaar media training programme last year attracting huge interest from school students. The programme targets students between the ages of 10 and 17, and is organised in cooperation with leading media institutions and experts to shape future media professionals and enhance young people’s awareness about various aspects of journalism and media.

The first edition of the Ithmar programme last year featured more than 30 training hours, five field visits, and six training modules. It resulted in the establishment of Ithmar student clubs in various schools ensuring the participants continue to remain engaged in the media education and training to eventually realise their goal of joining the profession.