The Sharjah Press Club, SPC, associated with the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, SGMB, has successfully conducted a special summer training programme for 25 students from various UAE schools.

The programme, conducted three days a week from 9th July to 12th August, is intended for ninth, tenth and eleventh grade students.

Delivered by Nabil Atta, Assistant Managing Editor at Al Khaleej newspaper, at the SPC headquarters, the training focused on empowering and improving the media management skills of participating students, besides introducing them to the basics of journalism. It also taught them how to dispel rumours and misinformation in addition to the art of dealing with the media.

Congratulating the successful trainees, Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, said, "The Sharjah Press Club's focus on media education is in line with the efforts being made by all UAE educational and media institutions to create a generation capable of leading the country’s media march."

He pointed out that the SPC training course would help provide students with the necessary media knowledge and protect them against the negative consequences of the wrong handling and circulation of fake news without verifying their validity. He emphasised that the unprecedented advancement in the means of communication and the rapid spread of information demand continuous growth and development of the national youth’s media awareness.

Talking about the Club’s future plans to empower Emirati youth and student community, Huda Al Dah, Manager of the Sharjah Press Club, noted that the SPC intends to introduce a number of activities and initiatives that are aimed at spotting and developing young media talents.

She added that in addition to media education, which is the main focus of the summer training course, there is an underlying thrust of introducing students to the fundamentals and principles of modern media and hosting field visits to various media institutions to familiarise trainees with the mechanisms of media work, in addition to nurturing distinguished students to cultivate their talent since childhood.