LONDON – To hone their skills and keep pace with the latest technological developments in the print media, a select team of journalists from Okaz Organization for Press and Publication will undergo intensive training in London early March. An agreement to this effect was signed in the British capital on Friday. On behalf of the Chairman of Okaz Board of Directors Sheikh Abdullah Saleh Kamel, Editor-in-Chief of Okaz newspaper and Supervisor General of Saudi Gazette Jameel Altheyabi, signed the contract with Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the Britain's National Union of Journalists (NUJ). The training comes within the constant endeavor of Okaz organization to develop the capabilities and skills of its staff. After signing the contract, Altheyabi said the training plan is one of the initiatives of Sheikh Kamel, who himself will bear all its expenses. Altheyabi said this confirms Sheikh Kamel's keenness to develop the journalistic skills of the young men and women scribes at Okaz, who are a segment of the ambitious Saudi youth aspiring to broaden their professional know-how and contribute effectively to improve news coverage of Okaz newspaper, which is already a pioneering daily in the Kingdom and the Arab World. Altheyabi pointed out that the first round of training will focus on video journalism, podcasts, infographics, social media, data journalism and augmented reality. Stanistreet, a well-known journalist renowned for her work in Britain's "Daily Express," said that the signing of the agreement confirms the depth of relations between the two institutions. She expressed happiness to cooperate with Okaz, considering it an influential newspaper within Saudi Arabia and the Arab World with its professional team of journalists. Altheyabi said expansion in cooperation in several other fields of training will be taken care of in the forthcoming stage. He also informed that training courses will be held in different professional fields subsequently in Jeddah at the headquarters of Okaz Organization and at the NUJ office in London. NUJ is one of the biggest journalists' unions in the world. It was formed in 1907. Altheyabi stressed on the upcoming stage of journalistic work amid the tremendous technological changes. He added that Okaz and Saudi Gazette dailies are set to witness monumental development in all fields of journalism. This will require continuous development of the skills and capabilities of their editors, he said.
