District Focused Journalism Training for Democracy Building: NMDC's Effort

District Focused Journalism Training for Democracy Building: NMDC's Effort

Bishnu P. Sharma Parajuli

President

In the capital, journalists do not pay much attention and give less importance on the capacity building trainings, interactions, workshops and seminars. There is similar influence and tendency in some big towns outside the capital. Beyond those handful areas, there is great importance and demand of such programs; however, such programs are not carried in those parts of the country, where it is needed in real sense. Among them, most of the districts lie in mid-hill, upper hill and few shadowed districts of Terai zone. Government and non-governmental organizations reach only to those places where air services and good roads nearby highways are available. Therefore, journalists working in the upper hill districts always left behind from skill development opportunities.

In Kathmandu, the journalists do not take maximum benefit from the above mentioned programs such as training/seminar, undermining its value and importance, though they may put high value. There are mainly two reasons behind this tendency. First, time shortage of the journalists working in mainstream media, and second, devaluation of programs saying- "what is there, we know all that what they say" a king of mentality of being 'self-informed or self-knowledgeable'. If the journalists prepare themselves for proper documentation of the Theme Based innumerable information that are regularly available in the capital, it not only helps to disseminate true and verified information but also provide great support to enhance the skill of the journalists.

National Media Development Center (NMDC), taking into account of the situation, is working for the empowerment of rural media by providing Theme Based skill development trainings to the journalists working in the remotest districts of the country. Though, its aim is to support on media management, currently, it is focusing only to journalism trainings. The district based trainings have become successful to sharpen the reporting skill of the journalists and, it had also supported for the development of quality journalism in the country.

In this report, brief information about the training, number of participant journalists in different trainings, districts from where the participants participated, and its impact in the society is given.

NMDC is devoted to safeguard pluralism by empowering rural media. For this, from its inception, it is providing skill development trainings to the journalists working in the districts, especially on Basic, Reproductive Health (RH) focused Health and Civic journalism. Since its establishment in Feb 2007, it is organizing district focused skill development trainings as well as national and international level limited seminars. More than 95 percent of the center's programs are based in districts. NMDC confining to journalism training- has provided different types of Theme Based trainings. Major trainings are regional level Reproductive Health focused Health Journalism, remote district and disadvantaged community and women focused Basic and Intermediate Civic Journalism, and writing skill development trainings. During this period (May 2007 to April 2011), altogether 914 journalists from 60 districts including 366 women have been benefited from two to five days' theme based trainings/workshops.

Health Journalism

NMDC is the pioneer organization providing reproductive health focused five day health journalism training in Nepal. Starting from December 2007 to August 2010, it has provided training to 308 mid-career journalists representing from 54 districts. Among them, 139 were women. The training period was from two to five days, major theme of the trainings were- reproductive health, avian influenza, gender health, safe abortion and SRHR. All trainings were conducted carefully following the training guidelines and curricula developed after consultation with media trainers and theme experts.

Together with trainings, other activities under health journalism component, NMDC carried were post-training monitoring, Health Journalism Feature Bulletin publication and Health Journalism Award to the outstanding trainees. The result of post-training monitoring in health shows that all 308 journalists are involved in journalism profession, among them more than 75 percent journalists had been found involved in preparing health news/feature stories at least once in a week and around 25 percent of the trainees had expressed that they plan to be a professional health reporters. Brief impact of health journalism training is given below:

1)                  The first achievement/success indicator of the project is maximum use of learned   skills by the trainee journalists;

2)                  The second impact of the training is publication/broadcast of quality news/stories on different issues of public health in different angles by the trainee journalists;

3)                  Giving maximum priority on public health both by local and national media outlets- FM radio, TV channels and newspapers is another greater achievement;

4)                  The fourth achievement of the training is allocating time and space for public health news both by local and national media outlets;

5)                  Another successful indicator of the training is paying high and immediate attention on published /broadcast news by government health institution, local government, CBOs and INGO officials;

6)                  Another major news impact of the training is to instigate health consciousness among the local general poor people on the health area such as 'one should be healthy', 'we can be healthy', and 'treatment cures diseases' by listening to the radio programs developed by trainee health reporters. The number of patients visiting in the hospital for check-up has been increased.

7)                  Career development of the trainee journalists.

8)                  Promotion of the journalists.

The news, articles and feature stories related to women especially on uterus prolapse got maximum space and time in the local and national media of the region of far-west, mid-west and west region of Nepal. Journalist's work became successful to bring actual picture of women's health. During training period, a trainee of Bajura , Arjun Shah wrote two news stories in Kantipur daily, and in the third day- Kantipur daily had published an editorial relating the health news of Bajura. Therefore, there was a very influential impact of the health training-which needed be continued for years to come. Taking into account of Nepal's current health scene, training programs ranging from 3-5 days on the areas such as –non-communicable diseases under which 43 percent people die, climate change and its impact to health should be organized.

NMDC, in first and second –phases had organized health journalism trainings in different districts. The number of participants according to district representation is given below:

Far-West Nepal: Kanchanpur-13, Bajhang-2, Dadeldhura-4, Achham-1, Kailali-15, Doti-1, Darchula-2, Bajura-2 and Baitadi 2, total 42 (9 districts),

Mid-west Nepal: Surkhet-13, Jajarkot-3, Dailekh-6, Pyuthan-4, Bardia-16, Dang-7, Banke-10, Rolpa-3, Rukum-3, Salyan-2, total-67 (10 districts),

West Nepal: Baglung-9, Myagdi-2, Parbat-3, Kaski-6, Shyangja-2, Tanahu-12, Lamjung-1, Gokha-2, Palpa-2, and Arghakhanchi-2, total 41( 10 districts),

Mid Nepal: Kavre-14, Sindhupalchowk-3, Kathmandu-45 ( Including Avian Influenzam Gender Health and Safe Drinking Water), Nuwakot-2, Rasuwa-3, Dolakha-13, Sindhuli-3, Rautahat-2, Bara-2, Parsa-3, Makwanpur-2, Chitwan-4, Ramechhap-1, Mahottari-1, Sarlahi-1, Dhanusha-1, Dhading-1, and Lalitpur-1, total-102 (18 districts),

East Nepal: Jhapa-15, Illam-2, Morang-3, Sunsari-15, Saptari-2, Siraha-1, panchather-1, total- 39 (7 districts).

In two- first and second phase programs, 43 outstanding journalists including 27 women were awarded by health journalism award. It had provided 10 regional level five-day health journalism training, one- five day advanced health journalism training, one-three day safe abortion reporting training , one-two day gender health and SRHR reporting training one two day avian influenza reporting training and one –two day safe drinking water training in different parts of the country.

2. Basic and Intermediate Journalism Training:

NMDC's most important, most focused and most prioritized training program is remote district focused basic journalism training. The five day trainings are provided to the districts where there are no journalism colleges and training opportunities. In the first phase, it has provided trainings to the mid-hill districts of Nepal. The districts and number of participants of the first phase training were as follows. Dadeldhura-20, Pyuthan-21, Rukum-27, Myagdi-29, Nuwakot-22, Parbat-23 and Udayapur-27, In second phase, focused to the disadvantaged community of the remote districts are Rasuwa-32, Ramechhap-23 and Dailekh- 26, Darchula-22, Mugu- 24, Panchthar-25, Doti-20, and Bajura-22. Altogether 363 journalists including 164 female from 15 remote districts had taken basic journalism training.

In the second phase, it is focusing to upper hill-remote districts focusing to women and disadvantaged.

Though, the basic trainings are shorter in terms of days, they are found very effective for district working journalists. The participants mostly are young people having higher secondary level education and practicing journalists in local FM radio stations and tabloid newspapers. They do not have journalism education and training opportunities as colleges are unavailable and no organizations provide such trainings as the areas lie in remote districts and are difficult to reach there. Because of these reasons, participants give much attention on the training and try to take maximum benefit from rarely available trainings. The curricula have been designed after consultation with journalism professors and trainers. It is updated on regular basis. The trainings are found completely successful to handover journalism skill to the practicing journalists of the districts.

3. Civic Journalism:

Civic Journalisms is our third component under training part. The participants are mid-career journalists. After the training, they become able to bring unnoticed but very important civic issues in the media and inform the citizen. At first, it had provided training in Palpa. Thirty two journalists representing from Palpa-25, Gulmi-2, Rupendehi-1, Kapilbastu-3, and Shyangja-1(5 districts) were the trainees. Similarly, training was organized in Surkhet in 2008. In the training, there were 49 journalists representing from five districts. They are Surkhet- 29, Banke-4, Bardiya-5, Dailekh-6, and Jajarkot-5. Similarly, in the program of Kathmandu, participants were as following-Kathmandu-39, Lalitpur-10, Bkhaktpur-  4, Nuwakot-1, Kavre-1 and Sindhupalchowk-2, total 57.

In second phase, civic journalism training was organized in Baitadi-far west Nepal. Journalists represented were from –Baitadi-13, Kanchanpur-6, and Darchula-6. There were 25 journalists from three districts. In the program organized at Makwanpur there were 28 journalists from 7 distrcts. There were- Chitwan-5, Nawalparasi-2, Bara-2, Parsa-4, Rautahat-2, Sarlahi-1, Makwanpur-12.

In the third phase, NMDC in coordination with FES Nepal have organized civic journalism training in Bajhang one of the remotest districts of Nepal to 32 journalists including 9 women.

In total, there were 223 journalists from 27 districts in civic journalism including 57 women.

4. Journalism Writing Boot Camp:

NMDC had organized a - five day journalism writing boot camp to the young reporters of Nepal with an objective to enhance journalism writing skill focusing to English media reporters. There were 20 participants including 6 women representing from print, TV, online and media colleges.

Apart from journalism training, NMDC has also organized national and international level policy dialogues on- conflict management, constitution making process and government spokesperson and press etc. NMDC's training at a glance is given as under.

NMDC Training at a Glance May 2007-  April 2011 Including Bajhang
Topic	Male	Female	Total	Dist.
Health Journalism Training	169	139	308	54
Basic/Intermediate Journalism Training*	199	164	363	15
Civic Journalism Training	166	57	223	27
Journalism Writing Boot Camp	14	6	20
Total	548	366	914
* Training organized districts only counted

4. Future Plan:

Major future proposed programs of NMDC are as follows:

a.       Organize third phase, five-day residential health journalism training in four regions inviting working journalists from 28 districts that were not included in NMDC's first and second phase's health focused training. The districts that were not included are: Dolpa, Jimla, Kalikot, Mugu, Humla, Salyan, Nawalparasi, Kapilbastu, Gulmi, Mustang, Manang, Rupendehi, Dhading, lalitpur, Bhaktpur, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Ramechhap, Dhanusha, Udayapur, Khotang, Okhaldhunga, Solukhumbu, Bhojpur, Dhankura, Terhathum, Sankhuwasabha and Taplejung.

b.      Organize one-three day health journalism training focused on safe abortion, gender heath and SRHR, covering five districts of Karnali-Humla, Mugu, Jumla, Dolpa and Kalikot.

c.       Organize two types of Basic/Intermediate Journalism Training under Rural Media Empowerment Project 2007-2017:

i)                    Second Phase Basic Journalism Training prioritized to disadvantaged community. The districts are: Darchula, Mugu, Dailekh, Bajura, Ramechhap and Taplejung.

d. Collect documents and carry study and research on the development of Nepali   journalism

Open Society Institute (OSI), U.S.Embassy, FES-Nepal, Family Health Division-Ipas Nepal, Department of Information, UNESCO-Secretariat are providing support. NMDC organized all trainings in coordination with District branches of Federation of Nepali Journalists.

Kindly provide suggestions and feedback for improvement to: bishnu@nmdc.org.np or in the address given below at the end of the page.