The Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) has announced a package of training programmes for media, marketing and public relations practitioners.

Commencing October, the association will present a series of workshops on Advanced News Writing Techniques, Business Reporting, Newsroom Administration, and Media Relations Kit. These workshops will usher in the establishment of the Jamaica Press Institute (JPI), the training arm of the PAJ. The institute will be formally launched during Journalism Week, which is being observed from November 30 to December 6.

"The Jamaica Press Institute will develop and deliver job-related training programmes aimed at improving the knowledge, skills and attitudes of personnel in media and allied occupations," PAJ president, Byron Buckley, discloses.

He invites media houses and other organisations to engage the services of the JPI to develop and deliver customised courses.

"Our mission is to deliver relevant training that will show results," states Buckley. "Our course presenters are practitioners with years of hands-on experience in the media field," he adds.

Advanced news writing
Cliff Hughes, CEO of Nationwide News Network, is the facilitator of the workshop on Advanced News Writing Techniques. Hughes, who is a former trainer for the Commonwealth Press Union, will assist participants to:

• Improve their interviewing and news-gathering skills.


• Develop their ability to spot news.


• Sharpen their news writing skills.

This workshop will benefit reporters, public relations and communications practitioners with one year experience or more.

Business reporting
The Business Reporting workshop is for reporters, marketing/investment officers, and public relations/communications officers. Presenters include Ralston Hyman, financial analyst for Power 106 FM and Sunday Herald; and Mark Jackson, chartered accountant.

Participants will get the opportunity to improve their ability to analyse business and financial data, and to learn techniques to improve their skills in writing or presenting financial or business stories in the layman's language.

Workshop participants will be exposed to topics including:

• Interpreting/presenting macro-economic indicators.


• Understanding the international business environment.


• Understanding stock and money market indices, and company reports.

Newsroom administration
The Newsroom Administration workshop is intended to impart critical supervisory knowledge and skills to persons who have been performing in the positions of editors, assistant editors, news coordinators or producers for two years or less. Gleaner Managing Editor Jenni Campbell will be the workshop facilitator.

At the end of this workshop, participants are expected to improve their interpersonal, leadership, administrative and organisational skills. Some of the topics to which they will be exposed include:

• Team building/motivational theories


• Conducting performance appraisals


• The stakeholder model for generating news

Media relations
Byron Buckley, who is also Sunday Gleaner Associate Editor, will be the facilitator for the Media Relations Kit workshop. He will provide participants with tips on how to prepare information for acceptance by the news media. Topics include:

• News-writing techniques


• Newsroom organisation: where to send your release


• News releases: how to produce 'usable' ones


• Preparing the information kit

Persons who will benefit from this workshop include public relations, communications and marketing practitioners; information officers; event planners; as well as spokespersons for non-governmental organisations, and para-church organisations.

The workshops will be held at the Press Association of Jamaica's offices at 5 East Avenue, Kingston 8, near to The Queen's School.

Workshop schedule

• Advanced News Writing techniques- October 28-1 (9 am to noon)


• Business-Reporting workshop - November 4-6 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)


• Media Relations Kit workshop - November 11-12 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)


• Newsroom Administration - November 18-20 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

Registration deadline: October 17, 2008. For information on costs, contact Byron Buckley at 4408393.