Barangay info officers enhance news writing skill, social media mng’t
By Kelvin Kennt R. Generalo
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur – More than 50 information officers from the different barangays of Sibagat, Agusan del Sur took part in the skills enhancement training on Basic News Writing and Social Media Management with resource speakers from the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga on July 10-11.
The said training dubbed
"Pagpalig-on sa Maalamong Sibagatnon: Training on the Activation
and Centralization of Information Communication in Sibagat,” held at the Liga
ng mga Barangay Session Hall, Sibagat, Agusan del Sur was organized by the
Municipal Information Office (MIO) of Sibagat, to equip participants with
skills in writing and effectively disseminating information, especially via
social media platforms, within their respective barangay offices and agencies.
Jennifer P. Gaitano, information
officer III and PIA Information Center manager of Agusan del Sur, covered the
basics of news writing. She emphasized the importance of accuracy,
completeness, clarity, conciseness, and proper attribution in news stories.
"When we say accurate, it means
there are no mistakes or errors. Complete indicates that all necessary
information is present without any personal biases or opinions. When we
say attributed, we must acknowledge or credit the primary source of information
if we didn't gather it ourselves," she explained.
"Learn that good reporting
involves interviews, research, and observations. Understand the distinction
between fact and opinion and ensure that reporters refrain from injecting their
opinions and conclusions into the story," she added.
She further elaborated the difference
between straight and feature news. And she encouraged them to use straight news
that consists of facts reported without elaboration in giving information. She
also gives tips for news writers.
“Make sure your facts are accurate,
keep your sentence short, be specific, use the subject-verb agreement formula,
avoid long and complex words, write in third person, use adjectives sparingly,
and do not editorialize,” she said.
After the discussion she challenged
the participants to write their own straight news and shared it to the body for
them to see and learn the proper way of writing contents.
Meanwhile, PIA Multimedia Specialist
John Charles B. Malazarte tackled social media management. He encouraged all
barangay secretaries and information officers from various agencies present at
the session to create their own social media page. He advised them to share
access with at least three to four administrators to ensure recovery in case
one admin's account is hacked. He also highlighted another advantage:
“If there are other administrators
for the barangay or your agency's social media page, they can still respond to
queries when you're busy or unavailable,” he said.
“You must establish authentic
branding on your page so that your social media presence stands out from
others. This helps prevent your page from being taken down by social media
platforms,” he added.
The seminar also educated the
attendees on the proper methods of disseminating and centralizing information
in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur. Through interactive sessions and expert-led
presentations, participants gained insights into effective communication
strategies tailored to local contexts.
Topics included leveraging digital platforms, enhancing community engagement, and ensuring information accuracy and accessibility. Indeed, attendees were equipped with practical skills to contribute to more efficient and cohesive information sharing within their communities. (KKG, PIA-Agusan del Sur)
