Zayed University students to produce tabloid

Zayed University has come up with a novel idea to develop media skills of its students by asking them to produce a tabloid to be called The Mirror. "It is really important that our students have the chance to do a practical project.

"You can study all the theories you want but at the end of the day what an employer wants is someone who can do the job at hand," Philip Cass, a communication instructor at Zayed University, said.

The College of Communication has started working on the tabloid to be published in Arabic and English reflecting the university's policy of implementing its policy of "Arabic across the curriculum".

The tabloid, in its final pre-production stages, is being produced by 10 communication students under Cass' supervision. The tabloid, which should be published at the end of the spring semester 2002, will cover a variety of issues. Some 1,000 copies are expected to be produced.

The 24-page tabloid will also include a calendar, movie reviews, feature stories and an opinion page.

Marriam Al Romaithi, editor of the opinion page, said: "Creating a magazine helped me enhance the skills I learnt at the university. As the editor of the opinion page I think the most important aspect of communication is to reflect the opinion of the people and that is what I have tried to do.

"Being an editor means that the only thing you think about is your work, simply forget the rest of your life and focus on your work and the paper. I admit it is hard work, but it is my choice."

Cass added: "Journalists and media writers have to think and reflect about issues but it all boils down to if a journalist can do practical work. You have got to produce people who can basically do the job, and exercises like this help students get a little taste of how it is really like and to apply what they have learned. We are doing that through this paper."