Anadolu Agency's training program for African journalists to start on May 24

ANKARA

An online training program for African journalists will start on May 24, according to Anadolu Agency’s News Academy director.

Bora Bayraktar said the second Africa Media Representatives Training Program (AFMED), organized by Anadolu Agency, the national broadcaster TRT and Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), will include a variety of topics and will be held online due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Recalling that the first AFMED program was held in 2019, Bayraktar added: “The training program includes topics such as the fight against disinformation, basic photography applications, social-media follow-ups and news writing.”

As the eight-day training will be held online this year, more media representatives can benefit from the program, he said.

“Before, the number of participants was lower in face-to-face trainings. We are now working to accommodate more participants from more countries but with a focus on Africa,” Bayraktar said, adding efforts to launch trainings for other regions, such as South Asia, are underway.

Highlighting the importance of such trainings, he said media and communication are among the most effective tools in recent times.

“Actually, all international politics revolve around this. Media is also a communication tool, a platform,” he said, adding that trainings are needed to help journalists provided accurate information to people.

Experienced journalists, academics to teach

Experienced journalists of Anadolu Agency and TRT, as well as academics, will take part in the AFMED II program.

Basic video applications, news writing techniques, new media and social media applications and advanced interview techniques are among the lessons.

The program will be in English and those who want to participate are required to be working in a media institution and be under the age of 40.

Applications can be filed through www.ytb.gov.tr.

Successful participants will receive a certificate.

The first AFMED program was attended by 20 African journalists from 13 countries.

*Writing by Sena Guler