Professionals in top and middle management continue to avail themselves of various training programs designed and conducted by the Asian Institute of Journalism and Communication.

On September 15-16,  AIJC  conducted the Seminar-Workshop on  Effective Technical Writing and Editing at the Club Filipino in Greenhills, San Juan. Participants included  Program Coordinators of three NGOs, Security and Safety Officers of a top mall, a Management Consultant, Senior Program Specialists of a Government Financial Institution, an Assistant Professor in a leading provincial university, an Outsourcing Manager, and  a Manager for Business Operations.

On the other hand, 24 doctors, nurses and media practitioner went through a week-long Risk Emergency Disaster (RED) communication training at the Orchid Garden Hotel in Manila. AIJC was tapped by the Department of Health Emergency Management unit to conduct this training.

In October, AIJC conducted three training programs for various audiences. Thirty doctors and nurses took the second RED communication training on October 13-17. A seminar-workshop on Knowledge Management was also conducted on October 20-21 for a group of officers, deans, teachers, and professors of different universities in Southern Luzon and a government bank officer.

AIJC also designed and conducted a seminar-workshop on powerful presentation techniques for 16 staff of the Provincial Government of Bulacan. Most of the participants are engaged in public information, administration, information technology and local media affairs.

What is the importance of newspapers and how do they help shape people’s lives and society? Are newspapers a reflection of a nation “talking to itself”? How does each section of the newspaper, from the editorial, editorial cartoon, and obituaries to entertainment page help social historians explore and analyze social trends and issues of the day? What are the challenges facing printed newspapers in this age of new information technology?
           
These and other issues were discussed by AIJC alumnus and part time professor Johnny F. Goloyugo during a symposium sponsored by the College of Communication, University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) on October 2.
           
The symposium was held in conjunction with the “spREAD the NEWS” campaign on newspaper readership initiated by Development Communication 180 students under Prof. Mia Cabral and coordinated by Melissa Ines Evora.
           
Prof. Goloyugo said that newspapers are important as sources of documentary materials, provide visual images and graphic descriptions of daily events and cultural values of societies, and as reference sources for facts, figures, charts, maps, photos and illustrations.
           
Newspapers also help determine urbanization trends, explore economic patterns, show social interests of a particular time, help people rethink the significance of historic events, reinforce or challenge ideologies, and entertain.
           
“While news stories, editorials, editorial cartoons and opinion columns have the capacity to sway public opinion, newspaper readers must caution against the agenda of the newspapers, their editors and publishers,” he said.
           
Prof. Goloyugo works full time at the Los Baños-based International Rice Research Institute as an information specialist.