CCAB launches mobile journalism training

Centre for Communication Action Bangladesh (CCAB) has launched a series of training workshops on mobile storytelling for journalists, freelancers and bloggers.

The first workshop of CCAB’s ‘Mobile Storytellers’ program, led by prominent mobile journalism expert Harmke Oudenampsen, was organized on Thursday. 

The online training brought together 33 participants including reporters from print, electronic and online media as well as freelancers and bloggers from across the country, said a press release.

“We are trying to show journalists that the mobile phone is a credible production tool, a studio in your pocket, especially during Covid,” Oudenampsen said.

The training focused on mastering the use of smartphones to create video stories and interviews. 

Participants learned the basics of framing, best ways to tell a video story and the basics of editing on smartphones according to the distribution platforms. 

Three other training sessions will be held in September, said CCAB Executive Director Syed Zain Al-Mahmood.

Mahmood said that the training program aimed to build the capacity of local journalists in mobile-based storytelling and support the news industry during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Using mobile journalism skills, reporters can shoot, edit and post news directly from their phone, which is extremely relevant during Covid-19, as newsrooms struggle for resources,” Mahmood said.

 “It takes journalists closer to their communities and adds a new dimension to their storytelling.”

Center for Communication Action Bangladesh is a media development organization that uses media and communication tools to improve access to quality news content, fight misinformation and strengthen media literacy.