SOJNMS had signed an MoU with the Deutsche Welle (DW), a Germany based international media training facilitator, to offer specialised training to working media professionals on online journalism, media management and trainers' training.

The first such training programme was undertaken by DW Akademie and SOJNMS on the theme of 'On-line Journalism and Web 2.0' between March 23, 2009 and April 17, 2009. The month-long training programme focused on:

• Journalistic ethics (role and responsibility of the online journalist).
• Journalistic skills (how to write better headlines, teasers, articles).
• Structuring online articles through graphic elements (how to incorporate links, interactive formats etc).
• Non-linear story telling.
• Compiling article-dossiers for the internet.
• Web 2.0 (Blogs, Podcasts, user-generated content etc).

Conducted by the personnel from DW Akademie, at IGNOU’s well-equipped media lab, the
training programme used a variety of methods such as lectures, discussions, visualisation, practical exercises, interactive sessions and group work etc. The training reinforced the fact that online media has the inherent strength of all types of media ie print, radio (in the form of audio), television (in the form of video), in terms of its quick nature, high interactivity, story telling possibilities and transparency.

As part of Certificate in Community Radio programme, the School also made an arrangement with the CEMCA to facilitate grassroot media training for NGOs and Civil Society to utilise the potential of radio medium for developmental works.