In 2004, the National University of Laos inaugurated the first Mass Media Bachelor Course under the department of Lao Language and Mass Media, Faculty of Letter, National University of Laos.

Most trainers and lecturers (98% specialized in Lao Language and Literature) do not have a background in Mass Media, Journalism and Communications; therefore, due to the lack of qualified human resources, the department offers only courses in television and newspaper production.

In order to improve the quality of Mass Media and Communication education and support institutions that underpin freedom of expression, pluralism and diversity, in 2010 NUOL has put professional capacity building at the core of its Mass Communication department with the project Building Institutional Capacity of Mass Communication at NUOL. 

The key objectives of the project are to lead workshops and seminars with twenty trainers/ lecturers and five students of the Lao Language and Mass Communication Department and teach them in line with UNESCO’s Model Curricula for Journalism Education, the practical skills of newspaper production, including news writing, critical analysis, editing, good and significant photo shooting, newspaper layout and production of related content relevant to their teaching materials.

This training process is sustainable in that its beneficiaries are not merely the workshops’ participants. The scopes are broader: the workshop aims to pass on the skills mastered by the trainers both to journalism students and media professionals in the country and create teaching and learning materials referencing the UNESCO’s Model Curricula for Journalism Education. 

Trainees’ Responses and Students’ Feedback:

The one- week workshop enhanced lecturers’ understanding of Mass Communications and provided critical strategies to better teach and back up with practical examples the course’s materials. Students confirmed they understood the subject more clearly when combining theoretical knowledge and experiential one.

Improving Reporting Skills for Reporters in the Provinces of Cambodia

In November 2011 UNESCO supported the training of media professionals in the Cambodian provinces of Battambang, Siem Reap, Kampong Cham and Sihanouk Vill. The course was coordinated by the Press Council of Cambodia’s (PCC) Kampuchea Environment Education Project (KEEP) with the aim to train 100 journalists/ young reporters in order for them to master the skills to provide news coverage about good governance, human rights, social, environmental and provincial issues.

 The importance of training journalists to develop good reporting skills in the provincial media in Cambodia is due to the fact that the latter have been neglected by the tertiary education sector and other training initiatives. Empowering journalists with good reporting skills goes hand in hand with a project of democratization of Cambodia’s provinces and fosters greater public awareness about the issues ongoing in the country.

Training media professionals in Cambodia resulted as a sustainable project. The experiences gained and the new skills mastered by the journalists were shared among the trainees and within their professional networks. Furthermore, the participants report to have notably benefited from the workshops and their consultancies with Cambodian instructors; they acknowledge a better understanding of the information research process, selection of information and the themes under inquiry. 

New Media Production Training for Journalists in Lao PDR

On 24-27 May 2011, UNESCO Bangkok supported the training course on new media production organized by the Lao Journalists’ Association and Vientiane Times at the Lao Press in Foreign Languages in Vientiane, Lao PDR.

The aim of the workshop was to develop Lao journalists’ knowledge and skills on website design and production of multimedia resources that could effectively address sustainable development or urban development projects across a wide range of media platforms and networks. The importance of leading the workshop derives from the fact that in Lao PDR there are currently 43 radio stations nationwide, 32 television stations and 90 print media outlets, of which eight are daily newspapers; but just one daily newspaper provides online news and resources.

 15 journalists including webmasters and reporters were trained to create websites, conduct interviews using digital recording devices and video cameras and produce clips based on the “5 Ws & How” principles outlined by media experts from UNESCO Bangkok and Australia. Journalists adopted the Joomla programme to create and develop websites, prepared questions for interviews and wrote a story about the Thai Luang wetland project.

 At the event’s opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Information and Culture Professor Dr.Bosengkham Vongdara, UNESCO Bangkok representative Daovong Vongsay and a representative from UNESCO Laos, the Vice- president of Lao Journalists’ Association, and directors of various media outlets attended. The importance for Lao journalists in the digital age to disseminate information accurately, reliably and quickly within the country and globally was stressed. 

At the closing ceremony, Mr Daovong and Director General of Lao Press in Foreign Languages Savankhone Razmountry presented certificates to the trainees. The workshop was sustainable in that some of the participants have become webmasters and multimedia producers as well as trainers teaching their colleagues how to create, develop, update and produce video clips.

Media Training Workshop on Memories of Myanmar

On 23- 25 August 2011, UNESCO and MMTC (Myanmar Media Training Center) supported the Media Training Workshop on Memories of Myanmar.  The workshop’s objectives were in line with UNESCO’s vision that the world’s documentary heritage belongs to all, should be fully preserved and protected for all, and should be permanently accessible to all without hindrance. As a consequence, the workshop activities were invested in finding effective strategies to use media to support UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme and the Myanmar Ministry of Information’s objective of highlighting and preserving the culture heritage of Myanmar to its population and the world. 

The participants of the event were 29 media professionals including TV/ cinema directors, scriptwriters, editors, and cameramen and representatives of the culture sectors from Myanmar Radio Television (MRTV), FOREVER GROUP (MRTV-4), Ministry of Culture and Myawaddy TV (MWD). 

Objectives of the workshop were:

1. Develop media professionals’ understanding about the UNESCO MOW programme  and the importance of increasing public awareness on preserving and showcasing documentary cultural heritage.
2. Learn about advocacy techniques for creating innovative concepts for such programming that can hold the publics’ attention and increase viewing figures.
3. Become familiar with techniques for content creation.
4. Design a concept for a series of media programmes on the documentary cultural heritage topic for Myanmar. 

Outcomes: 

The workshop raised media professionals’ awareness and knowledge about Memory of the World in Myanmar.  The activities that took place in the three days workshop opened up an advocacy arena where new ideas on the topic could be exchanged, discussed and further developed into a series of quality educational television programs and website portals that foster the workshop’s objectives.