PPF Journalism Training Workshop, Dera Ghazi Khan

Date: January 21-23, 2004
Location: Dera

PAKISTAN PRESS FOUNDATION (PPF) RURAL JOURNALISM SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME PPF Journalism Training Workshop at Dera Ghazi Khan.

Dera Ghazi Khan is a small but very important town, located at the Hub of three provinces, Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. Although majority of the 100,000 population is, just like most Southern Punjab, Seraiki speaking, the town supports a sizeable section of people from other provinces, specially the Baluch. Dera Ghazi Khan is capital of the region which has produced important political leaders, including former President Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari.

In the present government it has ministers both in the Federal and Punjab governments holding important ministerial portfolios. Dera Ghazi Khan is basically an agricultural area, producing cotton, and wheat. Pakistan Press Foundation organized a 3-day Journalism Training Workshop at Pakeeza Hotel in Dera Ghazi Khan from 21-23 January 2004. There were 25 participants which included 17 men, mostly journalists and 7 women including a woman journalist, teachers, social workers, and other educated ladies. Both men and women displayed a remarkable awareness of social, political and economic issues facing their region and the nation. Fired with the spirit to improve the quality of life of their people, the participants, both men and women took keen interest in the PPF journalism-training workshop.

Mr. Fazal Qureshi, Chie
f Editor, Pakistan Press International (PPI) flew from Karachi for the workshop. Mr. Tahir Hanif, PPI correspondent in Dera Ghazi Khan acted as local organizer of the workshop. The workshop teaching lectures covered such subjects as definition of news, principles of news writing, the concept of Inverted Pyramid in news writing, the principles of 5 W’s and one H. Every lecture followed by a free exchange of questions and answers covering a wide range of subjects relating to journalism and freedom of press.

Every lecture was followed by practical exercise. The other main subject of the workshop was the lecture on writing of articles, features and letters-to the- editor. There were practical exercises at every step. At the end of the day, participants were also given practical exercises as homework. The closing session was presided over by Ms. Zeenat Khan, member Punjab Provincial Assembly and Parliamentary Secretary Women’s Division, Social Welfare Punjab.

She gave away certificates to the participants. In her brief remarks Ms. Zeenat highlighted the importance of local journalists and women writers projecting local problems in social, economic and other fields in regional and national newspapers. She was all praise for the PPF workshop eulogizing its importance and utility. She expressed the view that more such workshops should be organized in the rural and semi rural areas of Dera Ghazi Khan region.