From January 14 to 16, 2026, the Hadat–Baabda Campus of Antonine University (UA) became a dynamic laboratory for contemporary journalism as participants completed an intensive Mobile Journalism (MOJO) workshop organized by the Faculty of Information and Communication.
Over three consecutive afternoons, the workshop moved swiftly from theory to hands-on practice. Smartphones replaced traditional cameras, demonstrating how the device in one’s pocket can become a powerful newsroom tool when guided by journalistic rigor. Concepts such as vertical framing, visual composition, and camera settings were immediately applied through filming exercises, b-roll capture, and mobile interviews, reinforcing the importance of precision and efficiency in short-form digital news.
The training followed a structured progression of skills, beginning with the fundamentals of vertical filming, equipment use, and camera settings, before advancing to mobile editing applications and efficient editing workflows. Participants explored short story structuring for vertical platforms, mobile interview techniques with a strong focus on framing and sound quality, audio editing, and the writing of captions and contextual text tailored to digital distribution. Story-driven editing, anchored in b-roll and soundbites, ensured that technical choices consistently served editorial clarity.
Beyond its technical depth, the workshop stood out for its atmosphere. The learning space fostered a rare balance between professional rigor and open collaboration, encouraging rapid iteration and constructive peer feedback. Under the guidance of Ms. Sara Hteit, correspondent at Deutsche Welle (DW) and mobile journalism expert, participants gained direct exposure to real newsroom practices. By sharing her own productions and unpacking the editorial and field decisions behind them, she transformed tools into methods and demystified the realities of mobile reporting.
The final day expanded into explainer formats, on-camera presence, and advanced mobile editing using multi-layer timelines, text overlays, and subtitles. By this stage, technical barriers had largely disappeared. Participants were no longer simply filming; they were producing polished, news-ready videos aligned with international newsroom standards.
They concluded the workshop not only with a certificate, but with a publishable voice and a reinforced understanding of journalism as a disciplined, responsible practice—ready to report, explain, and engage with audiences, one smartphone at a time.
Through initiatives such as this MOJO workshop, UA continues to promote innovative, practice-based learning that equips emerging journalists with the skills, ethical grounding, and critical awareness required to navigate the evolving media landscape.