Amman – Jordan Media Institute (JMI) held a training course entitled "Economic Stories: Responsible Journalism and Effective Storytelling” as part of the Institute's approach to develop Economic Journalism and its tools; it improves the skills of Jordanian young economic journalists and allows them to use simplified and humanized storytelling concepts by using data journalism and short videos.
The most important element of this training is highlighting the economic issues for current and future Journalists in order to be able to understand them and simplify them for the public, whether through press releases, televised or radio reports.
Trainer journalist Fayek Hijazin said: “The training focused on economic topics, related information and dealing with news sources including publications issued by the Central Bank and the Department of Statistics, which are known for being “mines of information” for journalists specialized in economics.”
Trainer graphic designer Ahmed Essam talked about methods of converting numbers and economic data into eye-catching designs and illustrations, saying: ”The training focused on teaching the basics of montage needed to create short videos, finding and utilizing open-source material, and monitoring, as well as ways of converting text and irrational numbers into simple storyboards.”
Participant Mohammed Alawneh from “Husna” Radio said: “The workshop, which included 17 journalists, provided him with new knowledge about economic journalism, terminology, tables, data and trending topics, as well as ways needed to humanize and highlight vital information using appropriate ways whether by graphics or videos.”
The six-month program includes three workshops that will focus on basic techniques in using mobile photography, ethics to be followed when covering economic news, in addition to providing technical support for trainees to help them produce their stories using video and graphics.