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Foundation runs editorial judgment course in London
Journalists from as far apart as Cape Verde and the Philippines learned how to avoid some of the most dangerous pitfalls of their profession, including hoaxes and defamation, during an intense training programme in London run by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
During the week-long workshop taught by veteran former Reuters journalists Keith Stafford and Barry Moody, they were also shown how to handle rumours and ensure their reporting and that of their staff was balanced, fair and defensible against legal challenges.
The course avoided pedantic lectures and power point presentations and kept the 12 participants engaged through practical exercises that increased in pace and difficulty as the week progressed
Barry and Keith kept the mood of the participants upbeat and made every session different and lively, drawing on their own experiences including serious problems they had faced while working for Reuters around the world.
The topics covered included privacy, the new risks posed by social media and the ethical judgement used in selecting photos for publication. The trainers cited various court cases to highlight the dangers posed by hasty or isolated judgements.
They were taken through case history of public interest and other defences including useful checklists which protect journalists from errors that risk litigation. Every session started with an “ice-breaker” game but there was always a serious message ingrained in the exercise.
There were also lively discussions where the participants exchanged notes on the state of journalism in their countries and the many challenges they face, especially in nations with weak respect for vital journalistic principles. They said hearing the problems of others would help them face issues when they returned home.
Luis Fernando Cascante, a participant from Costa Rica, said: ''I learned it is imperative that journalists should be punctilious in their approach. I will try to implement the system of reporters maintaining a notebook for content and quotes of press conferences and interviews.''
Otilia Carmaci, from Romanian public television, said: ''I will pass on the Reynolds case study to reporters in my organization so that they adopt the best global practices.''
Participants in the course also came from Egypt, South Korea, India, Uganda, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
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