Author: Arab NewsTue, 2017-03-07ID: 1488840071423070000
RIYADH: King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue’s Academy of Dialogue for Training held a five-day training program for journalists and media professionals at the academy’s headquarters in Riyadh under the title “Skills of Media Dialogue.”
The program aims to boost skills needed to promote national unity, cohesion and coexistence.
Seventy male and female journalists participated in the program, which consisted of three main modules: Understanding media dialogue, skills of media dialogue, and conflict management in media dialogue and discussions.
Several practical programs and activities, backed by a package of tools and methods, were introduced in the training to help trainees deliver key messages in a clear and concise manner.
The training program was given by academics, journalists and specialists in the field, who provided practical and theoretical foundations of the three modules, which also covered aspects like culture objectivity, morality, technical interventions, linguistics and conversational topics.
The program also looked at basic principles of media dialogue and stressed the importance of national cohesion and coexistence, cultural diversity and tolerance in the media in a manner that enables media people to reach target audiences strategically, while taking into consideration cultural, behavioral and social requirements.
The assistant director of the academy, Mohammed bin Hussein Al-Sayed, said the training program aimed to enhance skills among trainees by following scientific and practical steps to equip them with the professional tools needed to propagate messages of unity, be it in the media, at conferences or at panel events.
Ministry of Media and Culture spokesman Hani Al-Ghafili praised the academy for its decision to host such a program, stressing that it was successful and that, “regardless of the available skill sets, there is always room to develop and exchange experiences through such programs.”
He said the results of the program will show “rather quickly on trainees” after they had gained the necessary skills and tools to manage and moderate dialogue sessions, forums, discussions or conferences.
They will be able to deal and interact with all segments, age and thought groups in society and across all media channels, he added.
Journalist Saleh Al-Ghaidan, highlighted the importance of the program, noting that the media shape opinion and act a role model, and such programs contribute to bettering the skills and performance of media professionals.
Educational journalist Haya Al-Dokan praised the attractiveness of the program, which prompted her to “join without hesitation.”
She said she “benefited tremendously from the program and from interacting with other trainees because the message was clear and specific, and the material was provided in focused doses.”
Saudi TV personality Abdullah Al-Shihri also praised the program, saying that it aims to emphasize the importance of dialogue as the basic principle of human relations and interaction.
He also lauded the role the King Abdulaziz Center had in hosting such an event and in promoting unity within the society as a whole.
The strategy adopted by the Academy of Dialogue for Training focuses on disseminating the art of dialogue, and values like coexistence and cohesion among members of the society.
Since its inception, it organized and adopted 21 training programs accredited by UNESCO and the Ministry of Civil Service; it is working on training certified trainees inside and outside the Kingdom, as per its special programs, to meet the training needs, while ensuring a balance between practical and cognitive sides.
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