KUNA Center for Media Capacity Development Concludes Training Program on 'Drafting News and Its Sources'

Kuwait City, September 24 (KUNA) – The KUNA Center for Media Capacity Development concluded today, Thursday, the training program “Crafting News and Its Sources,” with the participation of several staff members from the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development.

The program, which launched last Sunday and was delivered by KUNA senior editor Mustafa Mahmoud, aimed to enhance trainees’ skills in crafting news stories in accordance with accepted professional standards, enable them to select news sources and assess their credibility, and strengthen their abilities to verify information before publication.

The program, which adopted both theoretical and practical approaches, covered several topics related to the concept of news, its types, and its importance in media work, news values, criteria for selecting events, news sources, and how to handle them professionally. It also addressed news construction, headline writing, and news leads. Furthermore, it discussed common professional errors in news editing, the use of verbs and linguistic styles in news reporting, and methods for verifying information prior to publication, all of which contribute to enhancing the quality of journalistic content, the accuracy of information, and trainees’ skills in dealing with various sources.

Speaking to KUNA, program presenter Mustafa Mahmoud stated that media training is a fundamental element in developing the capacities of professionals in the journalistic field and elevating performance levels in media and journalistic institutions. He added that the importance of such programs extends beyond journalists and media practitioners to include staff in media and public relations departments across various institutions, as they are responsible for preparing press releases, news, and media materials that reflect their institutions’ activities, missions, and objectives.

He clarified that equipping staff in these departments with the necessary skills and knowledge in writing news and press releases contributes to presenting information in a clear, professional, and accurate manner, thereby enhancing institutions’ ability to convey their messages to the media and the public, serving their interests and achieving their goals.

Mahmoud pointed out that the rapid developments in the media landscape, accompanied by the proliferation of information sources and the increasing speed of news dissemination, require media professionals to continue developing their skills and adhering to professional standards in gathering, verifying, and crafting information before publication.

He emphasized that specialized training programs contribute to building a more capable media workforce able to meet the demands of modern journalistic work, raise the quality of media content, and enhance credibility and accuracy in the messages institutions convey to the media and the public.

Established in December 1995, the KUNA Center for Media Capacity Development is one of the most important media training centers, having offered hundreds of training programs in various media fields. Its objective is to develop the personal capacities and potential of media professionals and elevate the standards of professional media work. (End) S.H.D