Advocacy Journalism programme held in Darjeeling for the development of journalism

During the training journalists were given orientation on media advocacy, development of journalism and the different modern technical trainings for the development of the media skill.


KalimNews, Darjeeling, 22 March 2024 : A two days’ programme on Advocacy Journalism was jointly organised by United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) West Bengal and Press Club, Calcutta in Darjeeling for the journalists of Hill districts of West Bengal.
In the two-day programme, journalists were given orientation on media advocacy, development of journalism and the different modern technical trainings for the development of the media skill.
The programme was conducted by, Dr. Snehasis Sur, president of the Press Club Calcutta and mediated by Dr. Uma Shankar Pandey, associate professor and head of the department of journalism and mass communication of Surendranath College for Women under University of Calcutta. Dr Pandey also conducted sessions on the present technical tools like Chat GPT and Canva.

Dr Mrinal Chatterjee, regional director, a journalist turned media academician and professor of the Eastern Indian campus of Indian Institute of Mass Communication (Dhenkanal, Odisha) spoke on how to be responsible journalist by not creating sensations but by being observant journalist through a distance neither too far nor too close in bringing, informing, exploring the facts, problems, information of both positive and negative nature supported by data obtained from the appropriate agencies, researchers, and write development stories in series. 

Dr. Snehashish Sur spoke on the development, responsible and advocacy journalism and draw attention to the laws and ethics while reporting on children. He stressed and explained that the dignity, privacy, identity and interest of the child related to a story should be considered while writing a report. He stated that these are prohibited and regulated by the different laws like section 228A, and 293 of IPC, and 21 of The Juvenile Justice Act (JJA) 2021 and 327(3) of CrPC, The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971, The Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1956, Indecent Representation of Women (Prevention) Act 1986, The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act 1956,Cinematograph Act 1952 and finally the most important sec 23 of the POCSO Act 2012.  

Amal Sarkar, a senior journalist of Kolkata, shared his experiences on the skills and the various fields and topics of finding topics of stories, methods of writing stories and bringing into light the problem with suggestions, proposals as remedial measures and alternatives.

Suchorita Bardhan the communication specialist, communication advocacy partnership section UNICEF West Bengal highlighted the various issues especially regarding reporting on children, their health, mental and other status and problems. She also stated that in publishing the names and photos both as victim and as the accused or convict, the privacy and identity of them should be considered and not to be disclosed as per the various laws. 

Journalists of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Sonada,Bijanbari participated in the two days’ programme in which certificates were distributed to the participants and the resource persons were greeted and felicitated by offering Khada, Gorkha Cap and Shawl. 

Addressing the media Bardhan the UNICEF communication specialist stated that the two days' programme was very much fruitful with active participation of the journalists of the Hill districts. It could provide trainings on development journalism, advocacy journalism, solution journalism, and also on how to create evidences, media ethics and skill transfer. UNICEF is working for the child rights in the fields of social, health, education through the agencies of government, judiciary as well as the media.