The Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences (FPK) of Universitas Airlangga continues to strengthen student competencies in scientific communication through a comprehensive News Writing Training session held in collaboration with the Public Relations and Public Media Center (PHMP UNAIR). The session delivered in-depth insights into journalistic fundamentals, institutional communication strategies, and effective news production techniques, aiming to equip students with professional skills in disseminating academic and organizational information to broader audiences. The program reflects FPK UNAIR’s commitment to enhancing student capacity as active contributors in academic media and strategic communicators within the university ecosystem.
Following the official opening session by the Vice Dean III of FPK UNAIR, the News Writing Training program proceeded with an engaging and highly informative material delivery led by Khefti Al Mawalia, S.I.Kom., M.Ed.Kom., an editor from the Public Relations and Public Media Center (PHMP UNAIR). The session was designed not only as a technical workshop but also as an intellectual platform where students were introduced to the broader landscape of institutional journalism. Participants were guided through essential topics including the fundamentals of journalism, structured news writing techniques, and strategic publication methods aimed at maximizing institutional visibility. The learning atmosphere was highly interactive, encouraging participants to actively engage with real-case examples and practical writing exercises relevant to campus communication activities.
During the session, emphasis was placed on the importance of understanding how institutional news production differs from conventional mass media journalism. In academic environments, particularly within higher education institutions such as Universitas Airlangga, news publication serves a multidimensional role. It is not only a channel for delivering information but also a strategic tool for shaping institutional reputation, strengthening stakeholder engagement, and highlighting academic achievements to the public. Khefti highlighted that students involved in campus media must understand this dual function in order to produce content that is not only informative but also aligned with institutional communication objectives. This approach ensures that every published article contributes to a broader narrative of academic excellence and organizational development.
A key focus of the training was the introduction of Public Relations Journalism as a conceptual foundation for institutional communication. Khefti explained that Public Relations Journalism integrates journalistic principles with strategic communication goals, creating a hybrid approach that is particularly relevant in academic institutions. Unlike traditional journalists who operate with full editorial independence, campus-based content creators must balance accuracy, relevance, and institutional messaging. Despite these differences in orientation, both professions share core values such as credibility, factual accuracy, and clarity in information delivery. Students were encouraged to develop a strong awareness of message framing, ensuring that each news piece reflects both factual integrity and meaningful institutional storytelling. This understanding is essential for building trust and maintaining transparency in university communications.
Another major component of the session focused on the concept of news value, which serves as a fundamental criterion in determining whether an event is worth publishing. Khefti emphasized that not every activity automatically qualifies as newsworthy. Instead, certain elements must be present to enhance public interest and informational value. These include impact, proximity, prominence, human interest, and timeliness. In the context of campus reporting, students were encouraged to move beyond simple event documentation and instead highlight impactful aspects such as research outcomes, innovation achievements, community contributions, and academic collaborations. By doing so, the resulting news content becomes more compelling, meaningful, and relevant to a wider audience beyond the university environment. Additionally, participants were trained to carefully select appropriate news angles to ensure clarity and focus, which significantly influences how readers interpret and engage with the story.
The training also provided comprehensive guidance on effective news writing techniques, particularly the application of the 5W+1H principle—what, who, when, where, why, and how—as the structural foundation of journalistic writing. Participants learned how to organize information using the inverted pyramid structure, which prioritizes the most important information at the beginning of the article, followed by supporting details in subsequent paragraphs. This method ensures that readers quickly grasp the core message even without reading the entire article. Furthermore, attention was given to crafting strong and concise headlines that accurately reflect the content of the news while capturing reader interest. The use of credible quotations was also emphasized as a critical element in strengthening journalistic validity, providing context, and enhancing narrative depth. As Khefti stated during the session, “Good news does not merely describe what happened, but explains why it matters to the public.” This principle serves as a guiding philosophy for aspiring campus journalists.
Through this training, participants gained a more comprehensive understanding of professional news writing practices tailored to institutional communication needs. The knowledge and skills acquired are expected to significantly enhance the quality of publications produced by student organizations (ORMAWA), semi-autonomous bodies (BSO), and the Media Center Internship Team of FPK UNAIR. Moving forward, students are encouraged to apply these competencies in producing accurate, informative, and engaging content that can elevate the visibility of FPK UNAIR’s academic and extracurricular achievements at both regional and national levels. This initiative also aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 on Quality Education through capacity building in communication skills, as well as SDG 17 on Partnerships for the Goals through strengthened collaboration between student organizations and institutional communication units.
