E-learning course to improve Pacific journalism

APIA: A new online media-training project designed to assist and improve Pacific media reportage has been launched.

The PasifikaTrainer, an e-learning course, was launched by the Pasifika Media Association (PasiMA) at the Samoa Observer newspaper office in Vaitele.

The course is a robust training program with modules covering a wide range of media and journalism topics.

It is aimed to strengthen the capacity of regional media professionals, promote community media and build organisational capacity to deliver online training to a broad range of Pacific media professionals.

The PasifikaTrainer is intended for working media professionals who need to improve on media skills or attain a more comprehensive understanding of specific media issues and is not meant to supplant academic journalism training courses.

It is a resource that can be dipped into as a quick reference, or reviewed in its entirety, module by module.

Quality journalism

PasiMA board chairman Savea Sano Malifa said media education and training was a priority for social development in the region.

“With this course, we intend to raise the quality of journalism across the region,” said Malifa.

“All media operators will benefit from their reporters taking advantage of this dynamic training opportunity, at no cost to media owners or their staff. It will help media managers and reporters upgrade their professional and technical skills, and will broadly support community media markets in the region.”

The course, which is grounded in Pasifika culture and values, features three major areas of media capacity:

PasifikaReporter is a training module designed to provide existing professional journalists with the additional skills, knowledge and expertise required to venture deeper into the important field of investigative reporting.

PasifikaMediaManager is a capacity building program designed to deliver real world skills to prospective media owners, managers and staff in subject fields such as establishing sustainable business models, general administration, law and legal issues, human resource development, income generation through advertising sales, new media, marketing and PR, accountancy and management.

The third module, e-Pasifika, is a training and capacity building program for media proprietors and staff and advises on the development of the use of multi-media platforms and social media in developing commercial viability and increasing news and information flow.

Source: Pacific Media Watch