Category Archives: Training

MU Director Trains Arab Broadcasters on Migration Issues in Tunis

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Media Unlimited director Magda Abu-Fadil led a three-day workshop for Arab broadcasters on best practices in covering migration, refugees and human trafficking in Tunis in a bid to raise standards and help the trainees sharpen their mobile journalism (MoJo) skills.

Magda Abu-Fadil describes the fine points of migration media coverage

She joined forces with audiovisual multimedia expert David Hands to train participants from the southern Mediterranean region in November 2023 as part of the EUROMED Migration V initiative in cooperation with the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).

The training relied on an interactive, mentoring and engaging approach using presentations based primarily on the migration and media guide authored by Abu-Fadil, but also on references, articles, reports, case studies, videos and relevant materials culled from media, academia, international organizations and other sources.

Arab broadcasters learn about coverage of migration, refugees and human trafficking

Abu-Fadil and Hands provided exercises to test participants’ comprehension of the topics’ complexity, including a grasp of terminology used to characterize (or mis-characterize) migration, refugees and human trafficking; how they had covered these subjects (or planned to cover them) by using certain tools and skills; understanding what international and local organizations and NGOs actually do in their respective countries and abroad; the laws and conventions on the matter; and, what level of importance they placed such coverage as opposed to other news. 

The trainers focused on the craft of combining solid research, writing and editing with impactful, visual and sharable storytelling for informed audiences through digital multimedia as well as amplifying the work of journalists across social media.

The trainees learned about the quality of images and sound, how audiovisual elements are related and how best to edit them using different apps for Android and IOS devices. They produced content the trainers evaluated with feedback from colleagues in the workshop.

David Hands demonstrates how to fine-tune mobile journalism skills

Trainees were also coached in the principles of media ethics, physical and mental health as well as security matters. The trainers immersed the journalists in the art of interviewing and information verification. 

Abu-Fadil and Hands drew on their years of journalistic experience and of teaching and training in various countries, notably in news gathering, writing, editing, digital multimedia, traditional photography, videography, radio broadcasting, social media, audience engagement, media analytics and blogging.

Abu-Fadil and Hands flank migration media trainees

They previously trained journalists in Tunis as part of the Migration Media Award under the auspices of the ICMPD-Thomson Foundation program, and Abu-Fadil served as a member of the jury for the entire duration of the Migration Media Award.

Abu-Fadil Coaches Arab News Journos in Basic, Advanced Skills

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Media Unlimited director Magda Abu-Fadil coached two groups of Arab News reporters, editors and producers in the basics of journalism and advanced reporting and editing skills in August 2023.

MU director conducts workshop for Arab News journalists

The first group’s sessions involved exercises to test the participants’ journalistic knowledge, power of observation, capabilities, command of grammar and punctuation rules. It involved writing and editing assignments, creating photo captions, as well of tests of their knowledge of geography, history, economics, politics and culture.

How to spot a news story

Abu-Fadil also focused on the definition of news and news story structures. The trainees evaluated videos and used them as a basis to write stories while conducting online research to provide context for their assignments.

Drawing on a video to write a news story

The advanced workshop’s trainees drilled down on the importance of language, proper grammatical usage, often taken for granted, preparation, the mechanics of editing, with a focus on leads, headlines, graphics and photos, verification and fact-checking, and, ethics.

Abu-Fadil uses a published Arab News article to edit its content

Abu-Fadil gave the journalists exercises and overnight assignments to assess their comprehension and application of what knowledge they acquired during the training. All sessions were interspersed with exercises.

Media ethics is key in all journalism

MU Director Trains Palestinian Refugee Journalists

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Palestinian refugees across Lebanon are almost forgotten but journalists in their ranks are active and eagerly participated in a December 2022 workshop to sharpen their skills with Media Unlimited director Magda Abu-Fadil providing day-long training to empower them.

Magda Abu-Fadil provides pointers on mobile journalism

Fifteen trainees from various Palestinian refugee camps learned how to produce professional journalism as a means to better their lives by landing full-time or freelance jobs on one of three days organized by Women in News (WIN), an arm of the Paris-based World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).  

While the journalists are refugees, they are not necessarily well versed in covering their own story or that of displaced people and human trafficking that often involve desperate people in Lebanon (including Palestinians from the camps) riding death boats seeking asylum in Europe.

How do we frame the story?

Abu-Fadil stressed the importance of context, the proper use of numbers and statistics, how to capitalize on visuals, the verification of information, the use of accurate terminology, how to protect themselves physically, mentally and online, and, how to sharpen their critical thinking skills.

Abu-Fadil asks journalists to assess news content and production elements of migrant story video

She conducted four intensive interactive and practical sessions on coverage of these complex topics, including international resolutions and laws related to migration, refugees and human trafficking, and incorporating media ethics in all reports.

Abu-Fadil provided tips on the mobile journalism basics of shooting photos and videos, producing good sound pieces using phones, as well as optimum applications for various devices, equipment and accessories.

Palestinian refugee journalists and WIN Middle East/North Africa director Dalal Saoud (standing) watch report on media coverage of migrants and refugees

She also discussed mental and physical health challenges of coverage, safety aspects for journalists, particularly to women reporters facing threats and intimidation when conducting investigative reports on the topic, as well as the lingering perils of Covid-19 and its variants, a 2022 outbreak of cholera in Lebanon (the first since 1993), and climate change.

MU Director Leads Migration & Media Workshops in Tunis

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Media professionals from state-run Middle East/North Africa broadcast organizations were immersed into intensive workshops on migration, refugees and human trafficking in the Euro-Mediterranean region in a bid to enhance their coverage of these complex topics.

Magda Abu-Fadil on best practices of covering migrants, refugees and human trafficking victims

Media Unlimited director Magda Abu-Fadil led the training that incorporated key migration concepts, the accurate use of terminology, legal considerations, best practices in coverage of migration, media ethics, safety considerations, mobile journalism principles and practice, and the impact of Covid-19 on the migration media environment.

Abeer Saady raises safety issues during coverage in sensitive areas

Journalist/trainer Abeer Saady and journalist/multimedia expert David Hands were co-trainers who, with Abu-Fadil, used the EUROMED Migration V (EMM5: 2020-2023) curriculum “Migration and Media: A Journalist’s Handbook” she authored as a primary reference in designing the workshops in Tunis in December 2022.

Profound discussion on media ethics

EMM5, an EU-funded program implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), organized the two consecutive workshops of three days each in cooperation with the Arab States Broadcasting Union (ASBU) and grouped participants from Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Palestine and Tunisia.

David Hands explains camera shots for use in mobile journalism

Abu-Fadil, Saady and Hands explained the language, terminology, organizations, international resolutions, and laws related to migration, refugees and human trafficking; the need for being ethical in covering the subject; the importance of safety, notably of women journalists, physical and mental health issues/trauma for media in coverage of migrants, refugees and human trafficking; and, learning mobile journalism skills for shooting and editing multimedia packages

The trainers provided participants with tips on interviewing techniques, notably when dealing with traumatized and displaced persons. The journalists interviewed members of Tunis-based NGOs that deal with migrants and refugees and one group interviewed a Syrian refugee who settled in Tunisia.

Trainees interview Syrian refugee living in Tunisia

Abu-Fadil, Saady and Hands used presentations and videos, showed documentary films, provided case studies, and conducted a series of exercises to test the participants’ grasp of the topic.

Abu-Fadil, Saady and Hands flanked by trainees

The participants produced pieces based on their interviews and at the end incorporated the interview with elements from the workshop’s presentations into a larger story.

Abu-Fadil Sharpens Misk Interns’, Arab News Recruits’ Journalism Skills

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Media Unlimited director Magda Abu-Fadil ran Misk Foundation interns through the paces of becoming journalists in a digital multimedia world amid sharp competition for audiences’ attention.

Assignment on education, distance learning and covid

The three-day virtual training involved exercises to test the interns’ journalistic knowledge, power of observation, capabilities and skills. Misk is an organization that empowers Saudi Arabian youth to become leaders in their respective fields.

How not to conduct an interview

Abu-Fadil covered basic grammar, writing, light editing, photo captions, geography, history, economics, politics and culture.

The July 2022 training included defining news, news story structures, punctuation rules, the lead, nut graph, contextual background information, quotations, headlines, captions, news sources, interview skills and media ethics. A final session was dedicated to exercises and fact-checking.

Practical reporting tips

Abu-Fadil also guided new Arab News recruits through the intricacies of preparation for media assignments, writing exercises, tips on how journalists find story ideas, cultivating one’s niche, pitching stories, spotting news and fact-checking.

Rewriting a lead

They got an advanced refresher during a three-day workshop in August 2022 on the art of writing, fixing leads and nut graphs, the use of quotations, news sources, digging for information, headline and caption writing and media ethics.

What journalists do

Abu-Fadil focused on in-person and online interviews, covering live and virtual events like conventions or seminars and news conferences.

MU Director Preps Lebanese Journos for Elections Coverage

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Media Unlimited director Magda Abu-Fadil coached Lebanese journalists on the intricacies of covering their country’s legislative elections in May 2022 to ensure solid media coverage based on professional standards that transcend superficial political and sectarian rhetoric.

She conducted an intensive three-day workshop on the processes and mechanisms before, during and after the voting for members of Lebanon’s parliament who, in turn, will elect a new president in November 2022.

Lebanese journalists learning from the pros

The training in April 2022 grouped journalists from traditional print, broadcast, online and alternative media. It equipped participants with news gathering, reporting, fact-checking and interviewing skills.

Topics included the media’s role as elections observers, political parties, generating story ideas, opinion polls, covering women as candidates and incumbents, sources, risk mitigation, election finances, and media ethics.

Magda Abu-Fadil coaches journalists on coverage of Lebanon’s legislative elections in May 2022

The workshop also provided a gender balance component with attention to gender sensitive reporting and sexual harassment. It focused on freedom of expression and safety of journalists, notably challenges to women reporters facing threats, intimidation and editorial interference.

 

Hands-on training during working lunches

Abu-Fadil turned working lunches into hands-on exercises in a newsroom-like environment.

Three guest speakers added their expertise to the mix. Jean Nakhoul, executive producer at the MTV Lebanon channel and an elections analyst, discussed the voting system, election rules and Lebanon’s electoral law.

 

Jean Nakhoul dissects the electoral law and voting process

Zeina Khodor, a veteran correspondent at Aljazeera English TV channel, spoke of her experience in covering elections in Lebanon, Iran and Afghanistan.

Zeina Khodor shares her experience in covering elections over the years

Dyana El Baba, senior projects coordinator at the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE), discussed her organization’s role in monitoring elections.

 

Dyana El Baba explains monitoring elections and reporting irregularities

Dalal Saoud, the Arab region’s director of the Women in News (WIN) program, a branch of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), organized the workshop.

Dalal Saoud describes WIN’s role to Lebanese trainees

 

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) supported the training.

Abu-Fadil Trains Eager Recruits in Basic Journalism

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Media Unlimited director Magda Abu-Fadil paved the way for a new crop of Arab News recruits to become journalists in a fast-moving media landscape through rigorous testing and helpful guidelines on producing media content.

Basic journalism workshop

The three-day virtual workshop in December 2021 involved exercises to assess the would-be reporters’ general knowledge, power of observation, capabilities and skills.

They covered basic grammar, writing, light editing, photo captions, geography, history, economics, politics and culture.

Geography test in a changing news world

The training also covered the definition of news, news story structures, grammar and punctuation rules, the lead, the nut graf, context, background information, how to use quotations, writing headlines and captions, types of news sources, interview skills and media ethics.

The art of caption writing

The final session included writing and editing exercises and the importance of fact checking.

Rewriting, correcting stories

The trainees were told journalism is based on acquiring a body of knowledge on which to draw and build, that it is very hard work and requires patience, perseverance, creativity and ethics.

Writing a headline, lead and nut graf for a video piece

Applying that knowledge journalistically in a cross-platform digital multimedia environment is still based on the principles of good old-fashioned journalism: research, knowing how to filter information, accuracy, fairness, a balanced approach to the news, and endless hours of writing to get it right in impeccable English, Abu-Fadil explained.

Journalism 101 for Arab News Recruits

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Today’s journalists must work holistically across digital platforms but shouldn’t forget the basics of getting the story right and building their knowledge base, Arab News recruits learned in a virtual workshop.

Journalism 101 for recruits

Media Unlimited director Magda Abu-Fadil put a group of newly-minted reporters at the Saudi daily through the paces by first testing their grasp of geography, history, basic economics, verification skills, writing copy, headlines and captions as well as note taking and observation by turning video content into a story.

Geography test

The three-day workshop in September 2021 included basics in grammar, errors writers often make, redundancies in copy, and punctuation that journalists often take for granted.

Abu-Fadil said news writing wasn’t literature or poetry and provided a detailed explanation of what constituted news.

What’s the story?

She stressed the importance of fact checking in a bid to mitigate the damage from mis-, dis- and mal-information, adding that journalism is an interdisciplinary field requiring extensive reading and research.

She also urged the trainees not to fall for superficial social media messages.

The journalists were introduced to the basic structure of a news story, the essence of news, writing effective leads, the importance of context in the nut graf, proper use of quotations and the ability to distinguish between American and British English journalistic writing styles.

 

How to use quotes

The training’s other key elements included numbers, hype, oxymorons, jargon, clichés and the use of visuals.

Abu-Fadil spoke of media ethics, the use of anonymous sources, and focused on the skills needed to conduct effective interviews, in person and virtually.

She also stressed the importance of establishing interview ground rules and differentiating between attribution terminology in American and British English.

Let’s edit

On the final day, the recruits demonstrated what they learned through rigorous writing and editing exercises that included turning bland official news releases into actual stories with adequate context, proper attribution, well placed quotes, research and strong active verb leads to draw readers into the rest of the article.

 

The importance of fact checking

They viewed a video to test their sense of observation and news judgment and a short film on fact checking.

Abu-Fadil Gets Journos Up to Speed on Zoom Interviews

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Mastering interviewing techniques via Zoom requires an additional skill set for journalists, which Media Unlimited director Magda Abu-Fadil shared in a workshop grouping Arab News reporters from the paper’s different bureaus.

Two-day workshop on successful Zoom interviews

 

The two-day training in August 2021 first focused on technical and logistical matters, including securing a setting for an interview, preparing one’s digital equipment, testing devices and apps, Wi-Fi connections and recording protocols.

 

Recording interviews with Zoom

Abu-Fadil also focused on how to adjust and stabilize sound requirements, what types of lighting the interviewer and interviewee need and different camera functions, be it on the device used like a desktop, laptop and tablet, or an externally mounted camera.

She also provided tips on the need for a visually pleasing and professionally looking backdrop, the interviewer’s appearance and clothing, and body language.

The right setup: camera angle, lights, seating

Abu-Fadil ended the first day’s session with a set of interview skills and an exercise to demonstrate good and bad backdrops in the participants’ work settings, and interspersed the discussion with videos to demonstrate how best to prepare for Zoom encounters.

On the second day, the MU director turned to the editorial side of Zoom reports, explaining the types of interviews the trainees could conduct and what makes a good interviewer.

Changed newsrooms: broadcasting from home

Changed newsrooms: broadcasting from home

An obvious first step is extensive research on the interviewee and topic at hand as well as finding reliable public information.

Abu-Fadil also mentioned how to choose and use quotes, when to paraphrase and how to attribute quotations. But most importantly, she underlined the need to set the interview ground rules well in advance to avoid any problems.

Always set the ground rules before an interview

She wrapped up the workshop with references to interview legalities and ethics and showed videos demonstrating good and bad interviews.

MU Director Schools Journos in Advanced Interview Skills, Pressers

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Media Unlimited director Magda Abu-Fadil coached Arab News journalists in the intricacies of interviews and news conferences with an emphasis on good preparation, types of questions to ask, handling difficult interviewees and sources’ credibility.

 

Journalists learn advanced interview skills and coverage of news conferences

The virtual workshop in July 2021 began with an impromptu mock interview scenario requiring the trainees to prepare questions for the trainer, take notes, write a news item based on the interview, prepare hashtags for social media, shoot pictures and write captions. The assignment was edited in a later session.

 

Editing interview news item

Abu-Fadil focused on research, provided multiple case studies of good and bad interviews, logistical matters in preparation for interviews and press conferences, how to select interviewees, media ethics and legalities, and the uses of quotations.

 

Video of late talk show host Larry King explaining success of good interviews is listening

Other elements included accurate attribution, ground rules, anonymous sources, virtual vs in-person interviews and press conferences as well as steps to follow before, during and after such conferences.