The New Nation - Internet Edition

A week-long capacity building programme at two local newspapers in Bogra -- The Daily Korotoa and The Daily Aaj O Agamikal -- concluded on Sunday with a view to increasing the quantity and quality of news coverage of business issues.

This is the first-ever programme of this kind in Bangladesh under which the journalists and other staffs of the two dailies were given in-house on-job training on beter coverage of business issues with special focus on SME (small and medium enterprise). A business editor, a senior deskman and a graphics editor from Dhaka-based media houses worked as trainers in the programme.

Management and Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) organised the training programme under its project titled "Supporting Local Media Houses in Bogra to Develop Print Offers for SMEs" supported by Katalyst

As a facilitator, MRDI provided strategic support for all required activities in the two selected newspapers to build their capacity in a sustainable manner, run separate business section in those newspapers and prove the potential profitability of such initiative to them. Necessary support was provided to organise training, workshops and events on the related issues for the journalists and staffs of the two dailies.

With the support of MRDI, the two Bogra newspapers have agreed to launch separate business sections, allocating required space for business news twice or thrice a week.

The coverage of business issues in the two newspapers was monitored and their progress towards building an improved and enhanced business section assessed during the intervention period. The weaknesses and strengths of the coverage were scrutinised for undertaking necessary actions to help overcome their shortcomings.

After the successful completion of the programme in Bogra, MRDI intends to expand the initiative to local newspapers in other districts. Similar programmes will be organised in those districts on a continuing basis for the journalists and staffs of selected newspapers towards the goal of capacity building and sustainable improvement of business coverage.