Mobile journalism innovator to challenge journalists

Mobile journalism innovator to challenge journalists and educators

International mobile journalism innovator and trainer Yusuf Omar will challenge journalists and educators to think vertically through their phone in Wellington next month. Against a backdrop of falling enrolments and closing programmes in New Zealand journalism schools, Yusuf (right), will challenge how journalism is taught for changing roles and audiences.

He will speak in a Facebook Live session on “Disrupted Journalism and Disrupted Journalism Education” during the annual Journalism Education Association of New Zealand Conference on December 13 at Te Auaha New Zealand Institute of Creativity. He is one of two international speakers. The other is La Trobe University journalism educator Dr Nasya Bahfeen, who is a former broadcast and sports journalist in Australia.

Yusuf was Thomson Foundation Mobile Journalist of the year 2016, a former CNN senior social media reporter, and mobile editor for the Hindustan Times responsible for 750 journalists across 27 offices.

He has been at the forefront of the mobile disruption of journalism this decade, dealing with the fragmentation of mobile platforms, equipment and software, throwing away his top quality cameras because mobile phones do breaking news faster and more effectively, and putting Snapchat filters on rape survivors so they could tell their stories safely. He trains communities to tell their stories, and challenges journalists to think vertically through their phone, just like audiences in communities.

The morning session is sponsored by Wellington City Council will be facilitated by Melissa Clark-Reynolds, a specialist in digital disruption and strategy who mentors internationally for start-ups. Clark-Reynolds is a Radio New Zealand Board Member, has been a CEO of a number of technology companies, and is on the boards of government agencies, tech companies, and has worked with educational institutions.

The session will be a mix of presentations, an industry panel discussion and the online session with Yusuf. The news media industry panel includes Paul Thompson from Radio NZ, Mark Stevens from Stuff, Katrina Bennett from NZME, Bernard Hickey from Newsroom and Adam Ray from Newshub.

The conference’s afternoon session “Diverse voices” features keynote speaker Nasya, whose visit is sponsored by the Asia New Zealand Foundation and the Asia Media Centre. A panel including educators and industry will consider diversity among students, and how schools expand the capacity for all students to be conscious of diverse perspectives in their education and practice.

The conference will be opened by the Minister for Broadcasting Kris Faafoi. Registrations are open for the conference here: https://www.teauaha.com/news-and-events/jeanz-conference-2018/.

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