DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/08 May) – Journalists, journalism students and teachers, information officers of government agencies, non-governmental organizations and companies are invited to participate in the 4th Mindanao Summer Institute of Journalism on May 9 to 30 to learn more about media, Mindanao history and other Mindanao issues such as mining, indigenous peoples and the peace process.
A three-day Media Education Seminar-Workshop by the Quezon City-based Titus Brandsma Media Center will be held on May 12 to 14.
The Media Education Seminar-Workshop is a specialized course “where the participant will learn the basics of Media Education and its related areas; thus, to support the initiatives of media awareness and media advocacy works.”
The major topics are Basics of Media Education, Understanding Media, Media as a Tool for Transformation and Introduction to Film Dialogue. A mini film festival will be held on the first day.
The seminar-workshop aims to serve as “instrument in the formation of collective awareness on the potential use of media and communication for local community development towards an active participation and re-appropriation of people’s own culture; create an ‘open space’ for people to discern on the critical role of media in the articulation of life’s values and meanings; challenge the media consumers/ users to be critically aware and responsible in its relationships with media; and advance the role of all means of communication in all aspects of community life through research, education and networking within and among communities, groups, schools and others.”
“It shall create and provide venues for encounter and support to groups’ initiatives for responsible and critical media practice,” it added.
The workshop will be conducted by Fr. Christian “Toots” Buenafe, O.Carm, executive director of the Titus Brandsma Media Center, and Ms Angela Blardony Ureta, TV writer, producer, author, journalist and media educator.
Participants who complete this free three-day seminar-workshop will receive a certificate of completion from the Summer Institute and a Titus Brandsma Media Education ID. For registration and reservations, please email minjourn2011@gmail.com or text 0920-9613937.
The Summer Institute, first organized in 2007, is an annual activity of the Mindanao News and Information Cooperative Center (MNICC) in partnership with the Ateneo de Davao University’s mass communications department.
This year’s 4th MSIJ is in partnership with The Asia Foundation, Titus Brandsma Media Center, AusAID, Canadian Embassy, with the support of the Center for Community Journalism and Development, Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, Mindanao Media Forum, Mindanao Times, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, Philippine Information Agency, University of Mindanao, UMBN and VERA Files.
A session on Map-reading and Terrain description, as well as Security Alertness and identification of weapons, is scheduled on May 11 and 12 but this two-day session, to be conducted by the Civil-Military Operations of the 10th Infantry Division, will be held at the Camp Panacan conference room
Professor Ninoy de Veyra of UP Mindanao will handle Feature Writing on May 13. Opinion Writing will be on May 16 with H. Marcos C. Mordeno of MindaNews (Writing Columns) and Amalia Bandiola of Mindanao Times (Writing Editorials). Reporting Business will also be held on May 16 with Carmelito Q. Francisco of BusinessWorld and Mindanao Times.
Fr. Albert Alejo, SJ, a social anthropologist and former director of the Mindanawon Initiatives for Cultural Dialogue, and Beting Colmo, a Manobo community leader, will discuss “Reporting the Lumad” on Tuesday morning, May 17.
Prof. Rudy Rodil will talk about Mindanao History on May 19, to help reporters and communications officers understand the present through the past, in preparation for the future.
Dr. Jose M. Tiongco of the Medical Mission Group will discuss the basics on “Reporting Health” morning of May 21.
Boji Bote of M Magazine will handle “Creative Design” on May 21.
Professors Luz Rimban and Yvonne Chua of VERA Files will tackle Governance on May 23 and 24; Red Batario, executive director of CCJD, and Weng Paraan, of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), will tackle Public Journalism and Reporting Human Rights, respectively, on May 26.
Prof. Kadil Alano, of the Notre Dame University, will teach Basic or Functional Maguindanaon on May 26 to 30.“Reporting Disasters” is scheduled on May 28.
Dr. Neric Acosta, who is expected to be named Environment Secretary soon, will discuss “Reporting Environment.” Acosta has confirmed attendance to the Summer Institute but the date of his availability will be announced shortly.
“Reporting Mining” is scheduled on May 23 and 24. The course will include Mining 101 by Engr. Mario Luis Jacinto, who served for several years as head of the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau in Region 11 and later as regional director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Other modules include Mining in Mindanao, the views on the 1995 Mining Act, small-scale mining and large-scale mining.
The dates for the sessions on Investigative Journalism by Malou Mangahas of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and Video Documentary by Ed Lingao also of PCIJ, Narrative Reporting by Mozart Pastrano, Peace Talks 101 by Carolyn O. Arguillas of MindaNews (Reporting the GPH-MNLF and GPH-MILF peace process) and Carlos Isagani Zarate of the Union of Peoples Lawyers in Mindanao (GPH-NDF peace process), and Reporting Agriculture will also be announced shortly.
All courses are free of charge for journalists, journalism or communications students and teachers.
For information officers, registration fees may be required in some courses to help defray the cost of handouts.
Since seats are limited, priority is given to those who have pre-registered. For reservations, registration and queries, please email minjourn2011@gmail.com or text 0920-9613937. For the Summer Institute calendar, you may also visit mindanews.com (MindaNews