Camp gives insight into new media world

As social media grows more popular, future journalists must learn to cope with many skills and be familiar with the technology behind today’s news coverage – such as Facebook and Twitter – while video-clip production is increasingly important. The Thai Journalists Association joined hands with True Corporation to organise the 16th “Pirap Noi” (little pigeons) camp from August 8-11 at Nakhon Nayok’s Phu Khao Ngam Resort Hotel to discuss and analyse these trends in their chosen profession. 

Sixty young people were lectured on all aspects of news coverage – from setting up an editorial to printing a newspaper page, as well as introducing the camp’s first workshop for video-clip production. The resulting efforts by all groups were entered in a contest in which awards for best newspaper and video-clips were presented. The camp manager and journalist Piruch Mingkwan said the 60 university students were selected from an essay contest on “the new breed journalist”. 

First prize went to Nation University student Tanpisit Lerdbamrungchai (http://www.oknation.net/blog/tanpisit/2013/07/28/entry-3), while Ameenoh Useng from Prince of Songkla University’s Pattani Campus was first runner-up and Panida Ladlhao from Dhurakij Pundit University second runner-up.

After being trained in reporting skills, the students were divided into 12-strong colour-code groups (red, green, white, blue and yellow). Their assignment was to produce a newspaper page comprising a headline story, economic news, news scoop, news pictures and a 90-minute news clip. They were given from 10am to 11pm on the first day and from 9am to noon of the next day to prepare the page and clip.

Mahasarakham University student Pichaya Phronsakha na Sakhon Nakhon, the red group’s editor, said the camp was good preparation for a new breed of journalists “who could cover and produce news for newspapers, television and social media like Facebook”. The camp taught her to understand the process of newspaper editing as well as video-clip production and utilisation of social media, she said.

Nation University student Chawitra Pattana-ariyasakul, the red group’s rewriter, said some group members from Nakhon Nayok reported on the government’s plan to develop Khun Dan Prakarnchon Dam into a tourist attraction and nearby residents’ reactions. They found that while most people agreed with the project, a few disagreed as they wanted the province to be peaceful and quiet. This reporting resulted in several spin-off stories, such as when a source mentioned the dam project to build Khlong Madeua reservoir that wasn’t yet completed – despite locals’ hopes it would ease their shortage of water for farming. She said they looked into the project and found many problems. The group’s other news reports included the money generated by Wat Phomani (Wat Luangpor Pak Daeng) and the Sarika Waterfall’s recurring problems.

Tanpisit, as a blue group member, 

 said the camp content and activities challenged the new generation of journalists, especially the making of news-clips and Twitter reports. “I started to love working for newspapers after being a trainee at The Nation. Although I had wanted to train in TV, I found, after training at The Nation, that print media could give something TV can’t, especially imagination. “Newspapers make people think more. Some said newspapers were dying, but I don’t think so. I admit that social media trends have prompted newspapers to adjust accordingly, though. But no one can deny that when it comes to reading, we still prefer reading from paper pages,” he said. 

Chulalongkorn University student Methee Ratthanukul said he had never produced a news report at the same time as a video-clip before. In his training they would use them separately. For this assignment, he and his friends did a scoop report for TV about citizen journalists, and then used the material to write an article for a newspaper under the TJA Cyber Reporter project. 

“It’s hard because TV news reporting is different from newspaper reporting. If you have to do them simultaneously in a limited time, you could end up with no good outcome because you can’t pay attention to both together,” he said. However such qualities have to be developed in the new breed of journalist, equipped with smart phone or tablet, because when newspaper companies go into Digital TV, reporters have to adjust and operate with both accordingly.

Bangkok University student Budsarakham Phechwong said she had never before been asked to produce both TV news items and newspaper articles. However, now she was willing to do both an article and a video-clip because the clip would clarify the article better. “I see many reporters covering news, taking photos and shooting video. It seems they have adjusted to the work load and technology nowadays makes it easier,” she said. It wasn’t hard because everything came from the same source; one just has to adjust the writing style to get work pieces suitable for each media type. She also emphasised the importance of teamwork to back up such work demands. 

At the end of the camp, the best newspaper handpicked by a committee was the red group’s “Supannika News” featuring the various problems and indefinite postponement of the Khlong Madeua project. The blue group’s “Fa San” featuring astonishing drug-abuse statistics, was second, and the yellow group’s “Mayongchid News” covered repeated flood issues at Nakhon Nayok. The best news clip was from the white group about the selling of second-hand goods in a temple, followed by the red group’s clip on Khun Dan Dam residents’ reaction to tourism development plans, and the blue group’s clip about commercial Buddhist activities based on individuals’ superstitions. The best news picture was from the blue group, by Tanpisit.