Above 1000 Bangladeshi journalists get Facebook-supported training
Over 1000 Bangladeshi journalists received training from Facebook Fundamentals for News, a training programme organised by Center for Communication Action Bangladesh (C-CAB) with the support from Meta Journalism Project.
The app-based training programme, which focuses on digital storytelling skills and online safety for journalists, ended on 21 December.
More than 4,000 journalists and freelance writers applied for the programme following its launch in August 2021, and approximately 1,800 participated in the training, according to C-CAB, said a press release.
“With this training programme, we have been able to reach journalists across the country, which is a big success," said Syed Zain Al-Mahmood, executive director of C-CAB. “We are proud to have issued more than 1000 certificates to journalists who have acquired important digital storytelling skills and safety know-how.”
Facebook Fundamentals for News was launched by Center for Communication Action Bangladesh (C-CAB), in partnership with Facebook (Meta) Journalism Project, BigSpring and Colombo-based Center for Investigative Reporting. The training was delivered completely digitally via mobile skilling platform BigSpring.
Shahnaz Sharmeen, chief reporter, Nagorik TV, said, “In this programme, we learned how to use Facebook tools for storytelling and how to remain safe online, which are both important skills for a modern journalist.”
Omar Faruq, special correspondent of Somoy TV, said that the course taught us digital news skills in an innovative way. “This course makes it simple to grasp some of the different criteria that must be considered while using digital platforms to reach out to the audience.”
The mobile curriculum, available in both English and Bangla, includes skills on online safety, best practices on Facebook, and how to best leverage video on the platform. The programme can be accessed via mobile and web.
The Meta Journalism Project works with publishers around the world to strengthen the connection between journalists and the communities they serve. It also helps address the news industry's core business challenges.
C-CAB has been working on both the supply and demand sides of the news ecosystem in Bangladesh, ranging from building capacity in mobile journalism, conflict-sensitive journalism, and data journalism to training young people in media literacy.