Workshops on Rural & Development Journalism
Journalism
One of the 5 missions undertaken by Mayaram Surjan Foundation is to promote value based Journalism as the basis for equitable growth and development of civil society. To achieve this goal, MSF has designed the following programmes.
- Training, sensitisation and re-orientation of rural Journalists.
- Training and sensitisation of Journalism students.
- All India Journal Competition - to identify, recognise and honour Journalists work- ing in corporate in house Journals, civil society organisations, people's movement and diplomatic missions based in India.
- To give short term fellowship to Journalists writing on developmental issues.
WORKSHOP FOR RURAL JOURNALISTS
Purpose :
- To prepare Journalists for identifying core issues relevant in building and strengthening a pluralistic society & use their professional skills for raising such issues through mass media.
- To build a community which has well informed and skilled rural journalists with deep rooted journalism ethics and values. The aim is to also build a cadre of journalists sensitive to social issue with an understanding of the nuances of development work.
Methodology :
Classroom lectures, audio-visual presentation, field exercise and face to face interaction between senior journalists, activists, subject matter specialists and trainers. Resource Persons included senior Journalists, social activists and teachers.
In the period from August 2004 to July 2005, MSF in association with (NFI) National Foundation for India, New Delhi conducted a series of 10 workshops in rural Chhattisgarh. The details are given below :-
| S.No |
Place |
Date |
No. of Participants represented |
No. of newspapers represented |
No. of villages represented |
| 01 |
Patan Dist. Durg |
13 & 14 Sept. 2004 |
23 |
6 |
13 |
| 02 |
Palari Dist. Raipur |
14 & 15 Oct. 2004 |
32 |
7 |
14 |
| 03 |
Khairagarh Dist. Rajnandgaon |
4 & 5 Dec. 2004 |
26 |
9 |
7 |
| 04 |
Kodar Dist. Mahasamund |
7 & 8 Feb. 2004 |
24 |
6 |
7 |
| 05 |
Balod Dist. Durg |
19 & 20 March 2005 |
26 |
8 |
10 |
| 06 |
Bhatagaon Dist. Dhamtari |
22 & 23 April 2005 |
37 |
7 |
10 |
| 07 |
Lalpur Dist. Kawardha |
4 & 5 June 2005 |
18 |
5 |
8 |
| 08 |
Dugali Dist. Dhamtari |
10 & 11 June 2005 |
39 |
7 |
15 |
| 09 |
Pithora Dist. Mahasamund |
17 & 18 June 2005 |
28 |
8 |
8 |
| 10 |
Fingeshwar Dist. raipur |
30 June 05 & 01 July 2005 |
|
|
|
Each workshop was spread over two full working days divided into 8 sessions. The main subjects covered in each workshop are -:
- Basics of Journalism
- What makes a good Journalist
- Media and the society
- Tools of Journalism
- Identifying issues for news coverage in rural India :- Gender Equality, Human Rights and Dignity, Plurality, Welfare schemes and their implementation, Basic Health, Primary Education, Panchayati Raj
- Professional hazards in working in rural areas.
- Writing skills and language.
Outcome :
- Generation of News reports on developmental issues in rural Chhattisgarh. There is a continuous flow of news worthy reports from the trainees. Such reports are being published more frequently than earlier in various newspapers accross the state.
- Generation of study materials on rural Journalism. Several papers have been contributed by the trainers on different aspects of the workshop. This material can be fruitfully used in future as well.
Follow-up :
- The participants are encouraged -
- To select at least one issue each in their area, write a detailed report, send it to MSF for possible correction/ suggestion and get the final report published in their respective newspapers.
- To establish a small book library.
- To organise lectures on socially relevant issues by eminent persons from the state.
- MSF assures all possible help to organise these activities.
- To identify more active Journalists from among the participants of each workshop, form 2 groups of 25 trainees each and arrange a 3-day advanced level training for them.
