The Channel | 2004

www.aib.org.uk

the

channel

Ventures and adventures – life at Aljazeera

is never dull. The first Arab satellite news and

current affairs channel has an international

reputation for ground-breaking and thought-

provoking coverage – that’s why it started

websites in both English and Arabic, and that’s

why it nowprovides an SMS-based news service.

2004 has been no exception. Planning is

already well under way for the long-awaited

English-language service and a documentary

channel. And at the beginning of July the

opening of the Aljazeera Centre for Research

and Public Opinion was announced.

But the key to Aljazeera’s continued success

and professionalism is the investment it

makes in developing and supporting its

dedicated team of journalists. This is the

reason behind establishing the Aljazeera

Media Training and Development Centre

(JMTDC) – to keep professionals up-to-date

with the very latest developments in the

media industry.

Training and development

Aljazeera’s training Centre includes in-

house:

• TV studio

• Newsroom

• Linear and non-linear editing suites

• Graphic design suite

• Library

• Seminar hall

• Lecture rooms

And the Centre has been up to the task,

proving its worth in its first five months

alone by conducting 33 courses. During this

time over 500 professionals and trainees

have already passed through its doors to

benefit from a diverse range of training

programmes in both English and Arabic.

Summer

beginners’

courses include:

•

TV journalism

•

TV presentation

•

Filming and editing

•

E - journalism

•

Print journalism

Fitted with state of the art

media technologies, the

Centre provides real time audio-

visual and graphic design editing

suites as well as a fully functioning

newsroom, studio and global

satellite

facilities

with

conferencing and seminar rooms.

JMTDC believes in giving its

clients hands on practice –

whether it’s operating cameras,

presenting the news or producing

a documentary.

JMTDC’s cooperative relationships with a

number of specialist institutions – such as

the Thomson Foundation, the Lille French

Journalist School and Getrac Training and

Consulting ensure that the Centre can

provide even the most specialized

requirements as well as some of the best

industry trainers in news journalism, media

law, television and PR. To name but a few,

professionals such as David Seymour, Arwell

Ellis Owen, Carolyn Hartman, Mahmoud

Jibril and Michael Delahaye provide around

120 years of media experience between

them. Many of the journalists that have taken

part in the numerous training courses,

workshops, and seminars have been

impressed by the trainers’ pro-fessionalism

and experience.

Aljazeera’s vision for tomorrow’s media

In February 2004 AIB Platinum member

Aljazeera Channel

launched a MediaTraining and Development Centre

for print, audio and electronic media – the first of its kind in the Arab world.The range of activities is diverse and

ambitious: it looks at media awareness, provides training, follows theoretical and practical media innovations,

prepares studies and public polls on media products and verifies the level of audience interaction with media

products.The centre is situated in Doha and unites experts in different media fields and specialities under its roof,

together with a number of international media foundations specializing in media training, such as the British-based

Thomson Foundation and the International Centre for Media Training [CIFAP].

Lawrence Smallman

reports.

The Centre’s director, Mahmoud

Abdulhadi, is confident about the future –

and has numerous plans to ensure the

Centre’s continuing success. All that come

to the JMTDC, he insists, will be impressed

with the huge variety of training courses.

“Whether you are a website journalist with

an interest in moving to television or a

reporter interested in editing film, you can

be assured of finding just what you need.”

Although the individual journalists represent

the main focus of the Centre, it is also working

withArab media organisations to develop their

strategies and plans and raise the standard of

their output to an international level. A high

percentage of the courses to date have also dealt

with media management, planning, graphic

design and media marketing. And since the

Centre was established on a non-profit basis,

the cost of training and consultancy compares

favourably with other training Centres around

the world.

And you may not even

have to come to Doha to

benefit from the Centre’s

activities, as employees at

the Muscat Securities

Market found out while

taking a course in

Financial Journalism this

June, and as participants

in Casablanca found out this summer.

Moreover, plans are underway to develop

tailored courses for Yemeni, Lebanese and

Sudanese television stations.

The Centre endeavours to contribute to the

development of media corporations, and the training

of their staff, through a variety of coaching methods,

specifically designed to meet the needs of a constantly

changing industry.

JMTDC mission statement

“I thought I had learnt a lot from studying journalism at

university. But when I came to the Centre and tried my

hand at presenting news - being put in front of a camera

- the whole thing became so much more real. The

experience has made me even more ambitious. I really

know what I want to be.”

Nidal Ibrahimi, trainee journalist

These are exciting times for

all journalists in the Middle

East. We really feel now

that we are achieving the

highest of standards and

professionalism.

Iman Awad, Aljazeera presenter

the channel

- supported