Newsroom is like a kitchen...

The newsroom is like a kitchen for Oman News Agency (ONA) News Editor Zuhair Shahab Al-Zadjali.

 “Just like cooking where you need to prepare the ingredients in the kitchen, so is news – you need to ‘cook’ them using the basics – 5Ws, 1H,” he said.

 “The information come into the newsroom from various means – telephone calls, press statements, interviews etc.

 “All this raw stuff needs a journalist’s cutting edge to be turn into news for public consumption.

 But Zuhair cautioned that writing a story must be based on facts and not simply made-up.

 “Don’t put things you are not sure of, no imaginary, no falsehood,” he said.

 “You will lose your credibility if you produce or write stories which are not true,” said Zuhair, who joined ONA since it started operation in 1987.

 He said it was now easy to check or verify information by using “Google”.

 Zuhair is in Kuala Lumpur to accompany ONA director-general and editor-in-chief Dr Mohammed Mubarak Al-Araimi to visit Bernama as a start towards forging closer cooperation.

 Acting Director of Technical Affairs Hafidh Nasser Al-Sharji is also in the ONA delegation that leaves for home tomorrow after a week-long visit.

 The visit is a follow-up to Oman’s Information Minister Dr Abdulmunim Mansour Said Al-Hasani’s visit to Malaysia last April to enhance information cooperation between the two countries.

 The minister had visited Bernama and was impressed with its multi-platform news and information services.

 Zuhair spent the last three days to give pointers on news writing and editing to our Arabic Desk staff.

 “I’m not here to teach but to share experience,” said Zuhair, who prepared himself for the visit by going through Bernama Arabic news posted on Bernama website for two weeks.

 He was touched by the warm hospitality and friendly atmosphere that he and his delegation received from Bernama.

“I discover that I’m like being in my home…they welcome me like they have known me for years,” said the 45 year-old newsman.

 Zuhair said he was confident that ONA’s desire to cooperate closely with Bernama would   last as both were crucial agencies for their respective countries..

 “Working in a news agency to me is like breathing…it’s my life, I breathe news and this is what I feel in Bernama since I arrive, “ he said. 

"Whatever news about my country, no matter small to others, I will take it and make it important as this is what our role is for the good of our country," he said.