* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
If I’m honest, this was the course I never thought would happen.
I’d been turned down for an entry visa, the course had already been postponed from December due to political street violence breaking out, and the day I was due to fly, the U.S. East Coast was hit by a polar vortex, which closed airports and sent Americans scurrying to buy bread and milk and hibernate in their homes.
As I packed my bag, I sent pathetic messages to my co-trainer, begging him to hold the fort until I could escape my ice-bound state. I was assisted by my long-suffering husband who loaded me into his pick-up truck along with a sack of salt and a shovel so he could get me to the airport. Happy Valentine’s Day!
But I was desperate to get to Dhaka, to teach the Thomson Reuters Foundation General Reporting course, February 17-21. Bangladesh has a compelling story to tell, and I could see from the list of participants that this would be too good to miss. So I was overjoyed when Belen Becerra, project co-ordinator at the Foundation, managed to sort out my visa, set up an emergency training plan, and made sure I had a fighting chance of getting to Bangladesh.
It was definitely worth the struggle to get there, even though my luggage was lost somewhere around Washington DC. I spent the first afternoon in Dhaka with a bemused co-trainer (male), a shy local fixer (male) and several charming shop keepers (male) who tried to find me sufficient underwear and outerwear to keep me decently clothed for a few days.
But my worries were quickly lost in the whirlwind of training activities, with a group of 12 Bangladeshi journalists who were keen to participate and acquire new skills.
All of them were united in their desire to get as much out of the training as possible, with ethical arguments running late into the night, and the historical context of this nation an ever-present reminder of the importance of accurate, responsible journalism.
Co-trainer Andrew Dobbie kept the core skills of accuracy and great newswriting high on the agenda, and daily copy clinics ensured participants focused on getting the news right first time.
The Foundation is renowned for providing training that ignores the traditional “chalk and talk” methodologies of the past. This week was no exception, as trainees had to cover companies, stock markets, bombings and more – all to international standards of journalism.
“My heart is beating so fast!” wailed one participant after a particularly fast-paced, high-octane breaking news scenario.
Mid-week saw the return of my luggage, and the labyrinthine activities necessary to get it back – 10 checkpoints, numerous pieces of paperwork and a three-hour round trip through rush-hour Dhaka, ably assisted by Mr Dobbie.
We managed to cram in a whole range of activities, from minute, intensive work on structuring stories, to the bigger picture of the role of the ethical journalist in society. All the while the participants kept their sense of humour, and their dedication to their chosen craft.
The last day of training coincided with International Mother Language day, when Bangladeshis celebrate cultural diversity and commemorate the deaths of protesters who were killed while fighting for Bengali to be recognised as an official language.
As trainers, we were charmed and flattered to be presented with formal Bangladeshi costumes by the participants, in the traditional black-and-white worn on Mother Language Day. It made training somewhat of a challenge, certainly for me, as I’m not used to running in a sari! (It was breaking news day.)
But it seemed fitting to be celebrating the end of this course on this day, with a group of passionate, hardworking journalists who have chosen to use and develop their skills with language to tell the stories of their country.
“Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage,” – United Nations.
Bangladesh taught me many things – and I’m confident the newly-trained participants will be contributing to the development of this vibrant country. And I also learned the Bengali word for underwear!
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