A 60 hours course in the art of 'writing for radio' recently finished at the Media Development Center at Birzeit University. From April 27 to May 7, 2011 director of the United Nations Information Center in Yemen, Samir Aldrabia, held carried out training session centered around the art of writing and editing radio news as well as preparing for reports and radio news story broadcast.
Trainer Samir Aldrabia escorted the students on a field trip to Raya FM and Ajyal Radio to let them get familiar with the newsroom on a radio.
This session is the first of a series of broadcast journalism courses conducted by the MDC and was attended by 11 trainees, including professionals working in the field of journalism as well as current media students.
The trainer, Samir Aldrabia, has been the director of United Nations Information Center in the Yemeni capital Sanaa since the December 6, 2010. Upon his appointment he had just finishes a one-year project with radio Mirrors of the United Nations Mission in Sudan, "UNMIS" and has previously worked with the Arabic section of United Nations Radio. Prior to joining the UN, Aldrabia worked as editor and broadcaster at the major radio station Voice of Palestine, as a correspondent for the Arabic section of Radio Canada International, and as a coordinator of Arab press and strategies for the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy. Aldrabia was the head of a technical team for the promotional campaign for the first census of population, housing and establishments in the Palestinian territories in 1997. Aldrabia holds a master's degree in social sciences and studies of the United Nations University, Long Island, U.S.
