Terrorism coverage: Training programme for journalists soon

ISLAMABAD:

The ministry of information will soon launch a comprehensive training programme for journalists covering terrorism-related incidents. This was said by the information secretary at a workshop here on Tuesday.

Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Secretary Muhammad Azam said that the fight against terrorism was linked to country’s survival. He said that the government, under the National Action Plan (NAP), had united the nation on the issue.

Speaking as the chief guest at a workshop related to code for media coverage of terrorism-related incidents, he said that the ministry would organise workshops for training of working journalists covering terrorism-related events.

Azam said that a comprehensive training programme would be launched soon. Master trainers from within the media community would be trained during next six months, he added.

For the purpose, training workshops would be held at divisional levels so that media persons from far-flung areas could benefit, Azam said.

The master trainers will later train their colleagues in their respective organisations, he added. The information secretary said that international trainers would also be engaged for training media persons to cover conflict-hit areas and terrorism-related incidents.

He said that the media had played an important role in shaping public opinion against terrorists and helped unite the nation against the scourge despite the fact that many journalists had lost lives and others had received threats.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1^st, 2015.