* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Twelve journalists from Vietnam and other Asian countries took part in a week-long workshop on Reporting Disasters and Crises in Hanoi in March, the third time the course has been held in the city under an agreement between Thomson Reuters Foundation and Vietnam Television (VTV).
Participants came from Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia and Nepal – all disaster-prone countries. Many already had experience of covering disasters, for example Typhoon Ketsana in Vietnam, floods and conflict in the Philippines and insecurity in Nepal. All the journalists were keen to hone their skills and share experiences.
For a week, they were living in the fictional land of Arkadia – the most disaster-prone country in the world. An earthquake, tsunami, rebel insurgency, deadly flu epidemic and mystery explosion - Arkadia had it all.
The workshop, delivered by instructors Ros Russell and Katie Nguyen, covered interviewing techniques, disaster ethics, story angles, managing fast-breaking news, safety and logistics, food insecurity and coping with stress and trauma.
We explored each theme using practical exercises, including mock press conferences, phone interviews and simulated breaking news events - including an earthquake, explosion and disease pandemic. Working in teams, the journalists were asked to prioritise information and produce fast and accurate text and TV reports.
“The disasters and crises reporting course was a very valuable experience for me,” said Phi Van Anh, a Hanoi-based reporter for Vietnam Television. “I loved this class.”
The participants spent a morning at the Reuters bureau in Hanoi where correspondent Binh Minh Ho, photographer Nguyen Huy Kham and TV journalist Minh Nguyen gave practical advice on producing compelling disaster stories, as well as tips on logistics, safety and how to protect equipment when covering a crisis.
Guest speakers from Oxfam discussed aid agencies’ responses to emergencies and how humanitarian organisations and journalists can work together in the aftermath of a disaster.
The Reporting Disasters and Crises workshop took place from March 19-23 at the VTV Training Centre in Hanoi.
