Facing a shared challenge of how media organisations in emerging markets can innovate and stay relevant in their unique contexts, leading media groups from the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) have put together a three-month long training programme for journalists, with the first such initiative concluding on Monday.
Over the past three months, 25 journalists from a number of media organisations from the five countries participated in a first ever online media training programme tailored to the five emerging nations. The programme was an initiative of the BRICS Media Forum.
“This first international journalism training programme conducted online over a three-month period and bringing in 11 experienced lecturers and 25 trainees drawn from all the five BRICS countries has proved to be an extremely worthwhile and practical contribution towards furthering the goals of the BRICS Media Forum,” said N. Ram, member of the Presidium of the BRICS Media Forum representing The Hindu; Director, The Hindu Publishing Group and former Editor-in-Chief, The Hindu.
The Forum was established in 2015 by media organisations from the five countries, including The Hindu, Brazil's CMA Group, Russia’s Sputnik, China's Xinhua and South Africa's Independent Media. The Forum, Mr. Ram said, was “conceived and developed so that it can function as an independent initiative and set of practical activities undertaken within the broad framework of BRICS cooperation”, led by organisations "with a vision of a shared future and a strong commitment to innovate in the media, especially digital media, and related technology fields."
The topics covered during the programme, taught by experienced journalists from the five countries, included podcasts in modern media, a conceptual framework for professional journalism, skills for a digital journalism, and the BRICS New Development Bank.
