AS THE global economic turbulence begins to affect the local media industry, the Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) will next month host a workshop to equip media practitioners to offer their skills as self-employed professionals.

The workshop on 'Marketing Professional Media Skills' will be held at the PAJ's offices, 5 East Avenue, Kingston 10, on Saturday, April 4, from 9:30 a.m. -1 p.m. Communications specialist and journalist, Yvonnne Grinam-Nicholson, will expose participants to the nuts and bolts of starting up a small communications business.

Management consultant

International management consultant Dr Trevor Hamilton will update participants on opportunities in the local and international labour market for media and communications services. He will underscore the need for practitioners to retrain to take advantage of the changing media landscape.

During April, the PAJ will also host workshops on advanced news-writing techniques for media and communications practitioners in central and western Jamaica. These workshops are geared to media practitioners with one year or more experience.

In western Jamaica, the workshop will be held on April 3 and 4 at the Wexford Court Hotel in Montego Bay. The presenter will be Senior Gleaner Reporter Arthur Hall. The central Jamaica workshop will be held weekly from April 7-May 6 at the Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville, where the main presenter will be Jamaica Observer Editor-at-Large Garfield Myers.

Media relations skills

PAJ President Byron Buckley will conduct two workshops on media-relations skills. The first will be held from May 12-14 at the PAJ offices in Kingston, while the second will be held from May 22-23 in Montego Bay. These workshops are intended to benefit communications, marketing and public-relations practitioners.

Workshop Registration