UK/MEDIA SUPPORTERS

Honouring the support of media partners at the House of Lords

Thomson Foundation has honoured the support it receives from media partners in helping to improve the skills of journalists worldwide.

While the Thomson Foundation trains journalists from across the globe in essential skills to improve standards, the work is reinforced by backing from many of the UK’s leading media companies who provide newsroom visits and work experience.

A reception to thank the media organisations was held in the River Room, the principal state room of the House of Lords, bringing together some of the best of British media, including the BBC, ITV News ,Sky News and the Press Association, as well as international organisations like Google and Associated Press.

The Lord Speaker and Thomson Foundation patron, Lord Fowler, opened the event by congratulating Thomson Foundation on its very “noble” work. Thomson Foundation chairman, Viscount Chandos, introduced a short promotional video highlighting some of the foundation’s key work in countries such as Sudan, China, Ukraine and Sri Lanka.

The foundation’s chief executive, Nigel Baker, told the audience: “We want to say thank you to the UK media organisations who allow regular access for journalists visiting London on courses.

Seeing world-class media organisations at close quarters, with the editorial freedoms they have, regularly gives those visitors the hope and inspiration to carry on as journalists – and helps to see how cutting-edge practices might be applied to their own newsrooms.”

 

Great occasion for an amazing organisation, proud of Good Morning Britain's association.

Neil Thompson, editor, ITV Good Morning Britain
Lord Chandos awarded nine framed commemorative certificates to UK media organisations who had regularly helped empower international journalists Pictured: Robin Elias, Robin Britton and Neil Thompson from ITV

 

Viasen Soobramoney, Thomson Foundation summer course alumnus flew from South Africa to attend the event, and praised the foundation for its “considerable contribution to the development of journalists and journalism itself”.

Lord Chandos awarded nine framed commemorative certificates to UK media organisations who had regularly helped empower international journalists during the last four years by allowing access to their newsrooms.

Viasen attended the foundation’s five-week summer “convergence course” in London in 2014, acquiring a raft of multimedia journalism skills – including mobile journalism. His course in London was enriched by being able to visit UK media organisations and by spending a week at The Guardian newspaper.

He has since had a rapid ascent from being a reporter to head of multimedia for the Independent Newspaper Group in Durban.

 

Viasen Soobramoney, Thomson Foundation summer course alumnus flew from South Africa to attend the event

 

“I was particularly intrigued and excited about the potential that mobile journalism had for journalism in a developing country like South Africa. When I went back home, I was given 15 interns and some basic equipment to experiment with. The rest, as they say, is history.

“We pioneered Africa’s first large-scale mobile journalism internship programme and became the first South African news organisation to have a dedicated mobile journalism unit. The success was almost immediate, increased audiences resulting from our mobile content had breathed new life into every aspect of our business.

“My next task was to train our close to 500-strong newsroom in digital and mobile storytelling. My time at the foundation not only changed my life but the lives of more than 500 others”.

 

 

 

Lord Chandos awarded nine framed commemorative certificates to UK media organisations who had regularly helped empower international journalists during the last four years by allowing access to their newsrooms.

Sky News (2014-2016)

BBC World Service (2012-2016)

The Guardian (2012-2016)

Channel 4 News (2015-2016)

ITV Good Morning Britain (2015-2016)

ITV News (2012-2016)

ITV News – Regional (2015-2016)

Telegraph (2012-2016)

Independent (2014-2016)

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