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Reflections on the Foundation's intensive workshop in Indonesia on reporting business news in the digital age
A dozen journalists from Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia and Thailand quickly became friends on this intensive week-long course, a cornerstone of the Foundation’s journalism training.
Challenging as the practical exercises and some of the financial concepts being discussed were, nothing seemed insurmountable to locals and visitors alike once they had successfully negotiated the city’s notorious traffic jams to reach the offices of the Jakarta Post, which generously hosted us.
Here are a few impressions from one participant, Patcharaporn Changkaew, the managing editor of Bangkok’s Money&Wealth:
“Reporting Business News in the Digital Age” was a very impressive course for everyone, as we all participated actively and reached our objectives by the end. Five days passed quickly and we all learnt a lot of story ideas, tools, techniques, terms, economic principles, etc. – leaving us equipped to fulfil our work like a sports car with a full tank!
"The experienced trainers had many techniques to explain difficult things to normal people. They used games, competition, activities, lectures (but not too much time on each issue) to make sure the course was not boring. We had to stay alert all the time and catch what the speaker was saying as he might throw a question to anybody to answer. Laughter and funny things made the group relax at the start of the day. Also, the review at the end of the day made participants think about and recall what they had learnt.
"We learnt many things, from economic cycles to business and financial terms. We also learnt from expert local journalists and an equities analyst who shared their experiences on reporting news – how to build their network and sources, how difficult it is to get and check information, how to work in a limited time, how tough their work can be. We did a mock press conference, interviewing, wrote snaps, headlines and news stories. In the part about the journalistic profession, we learnt the Reuters code of conduct, the rules of an international organisation which differed a bit from ours. And also we found out five ways to use social media for our job.
"Participants were a mix of younger and more experienced journalists from ASEAN countries: seven from the host country Indonesia, two from Cambodia, two from Thailand and one from Myanmar. We all made friends very quickly and the Indonesians were very kind to their foreign friends.
"The younger, energetic guys just starting out have a bright future if they get a chance to develop their skills. These people will grow up in their field.”
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