Hello holds first English child journalism workshop in Rangpur

Hello has held its first-ever workshop on child journalism for the English language version of the child journalism website in Rangpur.

The two-day long workshop introduced 20 children to the basics of journalism and equipped them with the necessary skills to deliver news aimed at readers of their age group.

The children were taught how to identify topics that qualify as news, the proper way to write and structure news articles, and guidelines on how to engage in child journalism safely and ethically.

They were also given an introduction on making video stories, including how to compose shots, edit video footage, and conduct interviews.

The participants were briefed on the rights they had as children under the laws of Bangladesh and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child by Advocate Sabrina Kashem of the Rangpur Judge's Court.

On Oct 26, Atik-ul-Alam, secretary of the Bangladesh Human Rights Commission of Rangpur, kicked off the inaugural session of the workshop at the conference hall of Mansha Restaurant, in the presence of Fakhrul Alam Benju, president of Sujan Rangpur metropolitan chapter.

Hello, a pioneer in the field of children’s news, opens doors for aspiring child journalists who want their voices to be heard on a global scale. The platform was launched back in 2013, a joint initiative by Bangladesh’s first bilingual online news portal, bdnews24.com and UNICEF.

“Journalism is a challenging profession. But even then, I believe it is a good profession. Just as the media is the fourth pillar of a country, journalists are also the fourth pillar of a nation. Those who work in this profession will have to stay on the path of truth and justice. Only then will the state and society see its benefits,” said Noor-e-Alam Mina, police commissioner of the Rangpur Metropolitan Area, while handing out certificates to the children. Guest speakers Abu Bakar Siddik, deputy police commissioner and Mahbubur Rahman, president of Rangpur Press Club were also present at the closing ceremony.

The workshop was conducted by Shoumik Hassin, Ahornish Ahona, and Ruhshabah Tabassum from bdnews24.com and organised by Hiru Islam, district correspondent of Rangpur.

Reporter's Age 16 District: Dhaka