Google announced on Tuesday a program offering digital journalism training in the (MENA) region.
The program is set to offer training to 4,000 journalists in six Arab countries including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Tunisia.
It is being organised in cooperation with the Washington-based International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and its IJNet Arabic service, Ahram Online reported.
The training begins in May for a year offering workshops on the methods of gathering and sourcing digital information, enhancing trust and verification, as well as supporting data-driven journalism.
ICFJ president Joyce Barnathan said the initiative aims to improve “the quality of digital journalism in the region.”
“The MENA region lags in providing digital journalism and inspiring trust at a time when young audiences are clamoring for it,” Barnathan said.
“This far-reaching program will significantly close the tech gap in the Middle East, and enhance the quality of digital news,” he added.
Matt Cooke, head of Partnerships & Training at the Google News Lab said that Google aims to roll out the program in more countries in the future.
