Sharjah24: The Sharjah Press Club, an initiative of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, announced the sixth edition of Ithmaar annual media training program, targeting children and adolescents from the ages of 10 to 17 years, from July 8 to August 1.
The screening committee has started conducting interviews with potential candidates to select the participating students according to the specific criteria and guidelines of the Ithmaar program to achieve its goals. The training includes both theoretical and applied training as well as interactive activities to provide the students with invaluable media skills and hone promising media talents and skills.
HE Alya Al Suwaidi, Director of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, stressed the SGMB’s keenness to continue its mission and goals and develop the Ithmaar media training program with the highest professional standards that meet the requirements of the media industry. The intensive training program is aimed at building the capabilities of participating students and support them in a way that translates the vision of the Emirate of Sharjah and policies of the United Arab Emirates.
Al Suwaidi added that the Ithmaar program has expanded the scope of cooperation with various media institutions and stakeholders to provide the invaluable media experience and insights to students. The program has been able to achieve significant and positive results attracting growing student interest and requests for enrolment, she pointed out.
The Sharjah Press Club has received more than 100 requests for participation in the program. The potential trainees meeting the required criteria will be divided into two categories - under and over 14 years old - to achieve the desired benefits according to the vision and mission of the Sharjah Press Club and the SGMB.
Practical experiences and applications
The Ithmaar agenda also includes sharing the unforgettable experiences of successful program graduates and field visits to a number of national and international media institutions to closely experience the media industry and learn about its day-to-day functioning, tasks and goals from the industry veterans and experts.
The training is scheduled to be conducted at the headquarters of the Rubu’ Qarn Foundation and Al Majaz Amphitheatre in Sharjah. The training covers a number of modules and subjects and is offered by top experts from the CNN Arabic network, the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, the Sharjah Police General Command, and official spokespersons for various government organisations and entities in the emirate.
The first week of the Ithmaar program constitutes a specialised workshop on media industry, artificial intelligence journalism, and its techniques in producing media content with practical applications.
The second week of the training program seeks to provide participants with journalistic writing skills and practical examples. The trainees will be introduced to the various stages and processes of writing, producing and publishing news in the print and visual media. Besides learning how to prepare a news report, the trainees will be explained the importance of distinguishing facts from fake news and rumours and methods of verifying the authenticity of news.
This section of the program also includes insights in design and layout, methods and skills, visual creativity, and practical applications through the designing tool ‘Canva.’
Creative skills
The third week of the Ithmaar training program provides participants with public speaking skills and introduces them to body language while providing practical performance experiences on stage, in addition to providing them with media communication skills and dealing with dignitaries.
The fourth week program includes a training workshop on security media for children, its style, and how to formulate its messages, while presenting the experience of the ‘Little Policeman’ magazine.
The week also includes a training workshop on the art of speech and audio recording, with the opportunity to provide a podcast performance experience, and a specialised workshop on creativity in social communication, production skills, and photography.
The program also includes practical training in the Al Majaz Amphitheatre studio to discover promising media talents. It also features field visits to the Arabian Radio Network and the headquarters of CNN Arabia in Dubai.
Excellence and outcomes
It is noteworthy that the Ithmaar media training program won the Kuwait Creativity Award owing to its quality, excellence and role in building a new generation of media professionals, and empowering it with high-quality media skills in cooperation with local and international partners.
The Ithmaar has been playing a vital role in grooming a promising generation that understands modern media trends and keeps pace with the age of artificial intelligence. A number of Ithmaar graduates were honoured at the International Government Communication Forum. The Sharjah Press Club organises throughout the year a series of programmes, initiatives and training that serve the media sector and media professionals.
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