Media Education Seminar Empowers Youth

Port Moresby: In this ever-changing world of media, young people need the right tools to communicate effectively. On Saturday, March 23, 2024, the second session of the Media Education Seminar series on print media took place at St. Charles Lwanga Secondary School in Gerehu.

The program began with moments of prayer and reflection. Student representatives from the 11 Catholic institutions said a prayer for themselves, followed by icebreaker games before the sessions began.

The program, organized and facilitated by Fr. Ambrose Pereira, SDB, EAO Social Communication Coordinator, and his team of volunteer animators, delved into the key elements of writing news reports, followed by the anatomy of a newspaper. Emphasizing the need to write stories and document events and activities in their respective institutions, the students were taught the elements of writing news reports such as the 5Ws and 1H and organizing ideas or content through the inverted pyramid.

"Open your eyes to see what is happening around you and write about it, sharing your views and opinions on issues," stated Ms. Sheryll as she emphasized writing news reports. The participants were also encouraged to write positive and reflective stories to positively impact others.

The second half of the session, through a working lunch, involved an activity on designing a layout of the news board. Students in their respective institution groups were tasked with organizing the layout in their own context or settings. During this time, a reporter, Jesher Tilto from the National Newspaper, joined the session. He commented and shared his experiences with the students. "What you all are doing is amazing, and it's great to see that you’re learning all these in your student days before you begin your careers," commented Mr. Tilto while sharing the need to be disciplined and meet deadlines. After the group activities, the students presented their news board followed by an evaluation and reflection on how they will practically share what they learned with others when they go back to their respective institutions.

In conclusion, Fr. Ambrose expressed his utmost gratitude to Br Johnson Chacko SG, principal of St. Charles Lwanga, the staff and their students, for their hospitality and kindness. Apart from providing the venue, snacks, and drinks were also provided for everyone.

The Audio Media will be held at La Salle Technical Secondary School, Hohola, on the 27th April 2024. It plans to be creative and exciting as the participants will record Jingles, a 20 second video message, a radio drama and a 30 second video clip.

Following are comments from few respective schools:

"We like that every school and student have an opportunity to voice their opinions and ideas, along with the fact that the animators are very professional at their work." - Jubilee Catholic Secondary School, Hohola.

"The program was very informative, and we as students got to learn on how to properly structure in the elements of writing a news article." - Marianville Secondary School, Boroko.

"With every seminar we are improving and gaining more confidence in speaking in public." - Sacred Heart Teacher’s College, Boroko.