New training programmes announced by the Doha Centre for Media Freedom (DCMF) will focus on improving the standards & quality of journalism in the Gulf.

The programme, described in a Q&A on the group’s website, will begin on June 20 with the first course, “access to information”.

Says the centre’s training consultant, Petrus Schothorst:

Many (in Qatar) said one of the big challenges they faced was getting access to information. Almost all over the Middle East, it’s difficult when it comes to governmental sources of information. But there’s much more information available than journalists actually use, so they need to know where to get it and how to make use of it.

Other workshops planned for journalists in Qatar and the surrounding region incude “Searching Information on the Web”, “Benefits of social media for journalists”, “Access to information” and “Legal Awareness and Protection”.

Read more about the programme on DC4MF.org.

(In the interests of transparency, I’d also point out that I’ve worked with the centre recently.)

Pictured above: Petrus Schothorst, training consultant for DCMF. Photo by Astrid Schipper/DCMF