In response to HM directives
MUSCAT -- Hamad bin Mohammed al Rashdi, Minister of Information, opened here yesterday the first course of a two-stage journalist training programme, the first of which continues for three months. The second course, which will also last three months, will follow. Addressing the participants at the opening ceremony, Al Rashdi said that the organisation of these training courses comes in response to the Royal orders of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos with a view to improving the competence of journalists through training programmes.
The programme, held at the Ministry of Information, will help upgrade the skills of journalists working in local press establishments, both government and private. "His Majesty the Sultan accords special attention and care to the sector of information, journalists and media personnel," Al Rashdi pointed out that the training courses comes within the framework of the Omani media's public message which evolves around the policy of conveying a true picture.
The main objective is to make the Omani media a window for Oman towards the outside world and a window for the world towards Oman. The minister added that the programme, which began yesterday, consists of three parts on theoretical and practical applications of information material. During the first three-month stage, which started yesterday, the lectures will be conducted by people who have long experience in the field of journalism, he said. The trainees will each apply the training criteria to their respective areas of the journalist practice, he said.
The second stage, also three months, aims to assess the capacities of the trainees to selected from among them ones who could be sent for training in press and academic institutions abroad to acquire more expertise and to have good knowledge about the different 'journalism schools', said al Rashdi. This is the first course of its kind that has been specifically tailored to meet the needs of journalists here. The minister said the programme, which began yesterday, offers journalists three hours of training everyday. It will enable journalists to reinforce their skills and to fine-tune their writing expertise.
The programme has been prepared to the highest standards. It will help the participants to build upon the art of journalism, the minister said, adding that the path of gaining knowledge is open and participants are free to bring up any journalism-related issues upon which clarification and, or, explanations are required. A question and answer session followed the induction briefing, where queries about the course were posed directly to the minister, which he duly clarified.
By ONA and Ali al Riyami
© Oman Daily Observer 2009
