Twenty-nine budding reporters received their first big sporting assignment on Saturday when they covered the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games opening ceremony.
Aspiring journalists from around the world are being given, as part of an Olympic initiative, front-row access to all events at the Games, enabling them to then build television, text, new media and radio stories under classroom supervision.
Each of the 18- to 24-year-olds was chosen by National Olympic Committees to represent one of the five continents. Five young journalists from Singapore also joined.
Tracey Holmes (AUS), a freelance broadcaster and one of the trainers, said the participants were very motivated and ready for the show to begin.
"They are going to keep us on our toes," she said. "We will probably leave here learning more from them than they from us."
The programme started on Friday with two days of intensive classroom work, after which each participant will be on assignments across Singapore.
In practical sessions, each learnt to use media industry equipment and new media reporting techniques. Then they absorbed lessons on journalism ethics and copyright.
Participant Ye Ji (CHN) said the Youth Olympic Games would provide a great chance to meet young athletes who could grow to become sporting stars.
"This is the first Youth Olympic Games and we are on the front line."
And Gernot Bachler (AUT) said it was his first time to enjoy input from experienced journalists.
"We will learn better how to do this, and how to find new ideas."
The participating journalists are from Austria, Australia, Barbados, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, France, Fiji, India, Israel, Latvia, Mauritius, Palau, Qatar, Senegal, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Uruguay, Ukraine, USA, Vanuatu and Zimbabwe.
Their output from the Games - stories, audio and video packages - will be published on the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games and IOC internet sites, available copyright-free to media organisations worldwide.
Al Bawaba
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