MCPNG concludes media literacy workshop

ABOUT 30 Highlands literacy workers are ready to use the media to express concerns over national issues.
The literacy workers are part of a three-day media literacy workshop in Aiyura Valley last week.
The participants were workers from Southern Highlands, Western Highlands, Chimbu and Eastern Highlands provinces.
The workshop, organised by the Media Council of Papua New Guinea with funding from AusAID, was aimed at providing an insight into media psyche and operations, and how to make the best use of media and media products.
PNG Media Council executive director Nimo Walter Kama said: “We are raising awareness and empowering communities, rural communities in particular, on the importance of media and its influence on their lives.
“This training also helps literacy workers and the people to access, analyse, evaluate and produce communication in a variety of forms.”
He said media literate people could think critically about what they see, hear and read in books, newspapers, magazines, television, radio, movies, music, advertising, video games, the internet and emerging technology.
“Media literacy is also about learning how to create messages using print, audio, video and multimedia,” Mr Kama said.
He told trainees that media had been threatened over the William Kapris expose and Moti affair, adding that it was not easy to put up sensitive issues but, “we have to slowly manage and address the issues”.
“We have to stand together to address issues to get the massage out clear so that the people know what is happening in the country,” he said.
Mr Kama pointed out that the media was vital for development and it also needed more support from communities to rise.