Journalists in West Bank and Gaza search for ways of using Internet as reporting tool
20-03-2007 (Ramallah)
© Ala Alaeddin
UNESCO recently organized a series of five training workshops for 50 Palestinian journalists working in the newspapers, radio and television on the use of the Internet as a resource tool. The one day workshops were held in Ramallah, Gaza, Bethlehem, Hebron and Nablus.
With the rapid growth of the use of Internet in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in media Palestinian journalists have expressed their interest to become more proficient in the use of modern information technologies. There are many ways that the Internet is beneficial to journalism and increases the access to information - but the use of new media technology has its specific challenges as well.
The training was based on Martin Huckerby's hand book “The Net for Journalists” published by UNESCO. During the training participants went through the basic skills of searching information on the net and how to check that the information is accurate and credible. The workshop also covered topics like the use of news services, emails, blogs and journalism and Internet phone.
Walid Muqbal who took the course at the Birzeit University Media Center remarked: "This course was very helpful for me, I thought that I was very good in using the Internet but after I took the course I discovered that I still have a lot to learn."
In the situation where the Palestinian journalists working in different areas in West Bank and Gaza are cut off and isolated from each other due to the restrictions on the mobility, ICTs have an important function to connect media professionals and create new kinds of networks. Web cameras, SMS messages, emails and blogs are favored especially by the media savvy younger generation.
Ameed Maany, who works in Afaq TV in Nablus said "Living in Nablus with regular curfews makes the Internet a major source of information to rely on, but at the same time a lack of experience and knowledge on how to use it efficiently can cause hours of lost time and effort. Internet also contains many useful tools that I was not familiar with. I believe that it’s important both to increase the awareness on the use the Internet and provide practical skills."
Another participant in Nablus added that it is also critical to be able to check the information before relying on it.
Most Palestinian media organizations have their own web pages to provide news and information free of charge. Web based local media can reach wider audiences and members of diaspora abroad who want to have daily news from home. Furthermore, writing blogs in the Internet has become increasingly popular in the region as a way to provide alternative and personal views on the life under the conflict in the Middle East.
By Ala Ala'ddin, workshop trainer
The training was based on Martin Huckerby's hand book “The Net for Journalists” published by UNESCO. During the training participants went through the basic skills of searching information on the net and how to check that the information is accurate and credible. The workshop also covered topics like the use of news services, emails, blogs and journalism and Internet phone.
Walid Muqbal who took the course at the Birzeit University Media Center remarked: "This course was very helpful for me, I thought that I was very good in using the Internet but after I took the course I discovered that I still have a lot to learn."
In the situation where the Palestinian journalists working in different areas in West Bank and Gaza are cut off and isolated from each other due to the restrictions on the mobility, ICTs have an important function to connect media professionals and create new kinds of networks. Web cameras, SMS messages, emails and blogs are favored especially by the media savvy younger generation.
Ameed Maany, who works in Afaq TV in Nablus said "Living in Nablus with regular curfews makes the Internet a major source of information to rely on, but at the same time a lack of experience and knowledge on how to use it efficiently can cause hours of lost time and effort. Internet also contains many useful tools that I was not familiar with. I believe that it’s important both to increase the awareness on the use the Internet and provide practical skills."
Another participant in Nablus added that it is also critical to be able to check the information before relying on it.
Most Palestinian media organizations have their own web pages to provide news and information free of charge. Web based local media can reach wider audiences and members of diaspora abroad who want to have daily news from home. Furthermore, writing blogs in the Internet has become increasingly popular in the region as a way to provide alternative and personal views on the life under the conflict in the Middle East.
By Ala Ala'ddin, workshop trainer
Workshop in Gaza enhanced the skills of the journalists to use internet as a resource tool in the reporting© Ala Alaeddin
Related themes/countries
· Training of Media Professionals: News Archives 2007
· Capacity Building: News Archives 2007
· Media Development: News Archives 2007
· Palestinian Authority: News Archives 2007
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- UNESCO Office Ramallah
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