Newly-trained reporters ready to practise new techniques

The four-day journalism workshop hosted by the United States embassy in collaboration with the University of Guyana (UG) and the Ohio University, wrapped up on Saturday with participants feeling more energised and enlightened as to how to go about their profession.

Journalists expressed gratitude to the U. S. embassy for its continued support of improving the craft in Guyana.
Speaking on behalf of the media operatives that underwent the training, Mondale Smith said the initiative will definitely improve the level of reporting in Guyana.
Smith said the workshop, unlike previous workshops, has allowed for better interaction between the facilitators and the students.
This, he said has enabled a more effective learning process for the team, which is now better equipped, in a range of media techniques that can be used to improve local content, both at the print, online and broadcast level. The topics that stood out in the training were journalism ethics, democracy and television news reporting.
The class was divided into teams and at the end of the session, produced television news and print pieces, which were critiqued and analysed.
UG Faculty of Social Sciences Dean Dr Paloma Mohamed said the training is just one of many planned activities, which will target local media operatives, and the aim is to improve the level of journalism practised in Guyana.
Dr Mohammed said the collaboration between the Ohio University and UG will continue.
The facilitators of the workshop work with the Ohio University. They are Institute of International Journalism in the EW Scripps School of Journalism Director Dr Yusuf Kalyango and consultant and former Washington Post Chief Editor Andrew Alexander, who are both media experts and academics.
Meanwhile, UG Centre for Communication Studies Director Carolyn Walcott said the training was meaningful, instructive and had a high level of participation from all media entities.
Walcott reminded the participants to take what they have learnt from the intense workshop and put it into practise. She believes that the training sessions allowed for great interaction between the facilitators and the participants, and will serve to improve the level of reporting in Guyana. In addition, it will also help to bring some balance in the daily reporting.
United States Ambassador D Brent Hardt commended the team for making sure that the workshop was effective and relevant.
The U. S. diplomat said his office will remain ready and willing to always support the local media, in the quest to improve the skills of their workers and ensure that democracy is served in the Guyanese society.