EARTH & Thai PBS Organized Citizen Journalism Workshop for the Pollution Monitoring Volunteer Network

23 August 2020 | Reported by EARTH

Photo by EARTH

The Ecological Alert and Recovery – Thailand (EARTH) in collaboration with Thai PBS’s Citizen Media Network organized a citizen journalism workshop for the representatives of the industrial pollution affected communities from several areas.   

On 21-23 August 2020, the Ecological Alert and Recovery – Thailand (EARTH) and the Citizen Media Network of the Thai Public Broadcasting Service’s recently joined hands to organize a journalism workshop on “Citizen Reporters for the Public Service”. The event was held in a local resort in Samut Songkhram Province and was attended by the community representatives who are affected by the industrial pollution and the government policies on expanding the industrial investment.

There are more than 70 participants from several industrial pollution affected areas, such as the representatives from six villages of “Khon Rak ban Kerd Group” from Loei Province; "Kaeng Lawa Conservation Network” from Khon Kaen Province; "Surface Water Surveillance Network" from Rayong Province, "Learning Center for Environmental and Community Health Monitoring and Protection" from Rayong Province; a group of small-scale fishing boat from Rayong Province; "Rao Rak Phanom Group" from Chachoengsao Province; a group of people affected by industrial toxic waste from Nong Han Subdistrict, Phanom Sarakham District in Chachoengsao Province; “Eastern Labor Relations Network” from Chonburi Province; “Khon Rak Ban Kerd Network” from Petchaburi Province; "Nature and Environment Conservation Network" from Prachuap Khiri Khan Province; "Ruam Palang Khon Rak Ban Kerd Group" from Samut Sakhon Province; "Dharmarat News Center" from Sa Kaeo Province; including some participants from non-governmental organizations.

The workshop aims at developing skills on online media production, both in conceptualizing and techniques. Highlighted topics include public communication, knowledgeability in using online media, as well as several key techniques such as producing news storytelling through the ‘C-site’ (a smartphone application that allows citizens to report on local issues based on their locations), basic digital shooting and editing, and designing the storytelling based on site visit. Moreover, the citizen journalism workshop also aims for enhancing the cooperation between the citizen reporters which are parts of Thai PBS’s Citizen Media Network (C-Site), and the Pollution Monitoring Volunteers Network which are under EARTH’s Citizen Science Program on Industrial Pollution Monitoring for Health and Environment.