Seminar focuses on print media and photography

A SOCIAL communications (Socom) seminar for Catholic media coordinators from dioceses around Papua New Guinea was held last week (May 16-20) with a focus on print media and photography.
Thirteen participants including priests, religious sisters and lay personnel from Aitape, West Sepik; Wewak, East Sepik; Lae, Morobe; Alotau, Milne Bay; Kundiawa, Chimbu; Mt Hagen, Western Highlands; and, Mendi, Southern Highlands, gathered for the week-long training at the Catholic Bishops Conference (CBC) in Gordon, Port Moresby.
The theme of the seminar was “Listen. Do everything with Love” and joining the participants was Archbishop of Rabaul, East New Britain, Rochus Tatamai MSC.
The participants were trained on writing news articles using the five W’s and one H, following the inverted pyramid style and understanding the difference between current news and stale news.
The sessions highlighted creating diocesan newsletters and the tools needed and capturing photographs with a positive message.
Spirituality of communication, misinformation, disinformation and mal-information and netiquette and online ethics were covered.
These sessions focused on the correct usage or acceptable ways of communication on the internet, behaviour and online identity, reporting facts and sharing information by verifying sources and evangelising as church media communicators.
During the week, the participants visited one of the country’s major daily newspapers, The National where they were briefed about the process followed in the newsroom and the different departments to produce a daily newspaper.
The participants also visited the Adventure Park at 14-mile for a practical photography session.
“It was wonderful to have our social communications coordinators from several dioceses of the country,” CBC Socom secretary Fr Ambrose Pereira said.
“They have been actively engaged with the community and will be able to give a voice to the voiceless and a face to the faceless in their communities.
“I am sure all those present will invigorate their communities and gradually effect change for the good of all people.”
The seminar is aimed at promoting a thriving network of Christian communicators who can report events to inspire, to evangelise, and to connect with people.