Students from the Faculty of Media and Communication at the University of Tripoli learn about the mechanisms of journalistic work at LANA.

Reported by: Ismail Al-Kurbu

Photography by: Fathi Shalfait

Tripoli, November 25, 2025 (LANA) – Students from the Faculty of Media and Communication at the University of Tripoli conducted a field visit to the headquarters of the Libyan News Agency (LANA) on Tuesday. This visit was part of a practical training program designed to enhance hands-on learning and connect theoretical knowledge with professional skills within media institutions.

At the start of the tour, which included visits to various departments and newsrooms, Dr. Mohamed Al-Ajam, a professor at the faculty, stated that the visit aimed to provide students with firsthand experience of the work environment within the official agency. He explained that the visit allowed them to learn about the stages of news production, from initial receipt to dissemination across the agency's various platforms, thereby contributing to the refinement of their editorial and technical skills and preparing them for the media job market.

The visit included a tour of the agency's documentation center, which houses important historical documents and an archive containing millions of news articles and information on local and international events, issues, and news spanning more than six decades. The students learned about the mechanisms for preserving media materials, methods for documenting news content, and the role the archive plays in supporting journalistic work and providing a database for future reference.

The tour also included the various departments of the agency, such as the newsroom, where the managing editor, Mustafa Aziz, and several editors explained the journalistic workflow at the agency. This process began with source tracking, continued through editing and review, and culminated in broadcasting across the agency's various media platforms, including the website, the Libyan News Agency (LANA) newspaper platforms, and its radio station (WAL), both domestically and internationally.

The tour also included visits to the general editorial department, the technical support department, and the training center. Department heads provided an overview of each department's responsibilities and its role in supporting news content production.

Following the tour, participants held an extensive dialogue session attended by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Agency, Abdulbasit Aboudia, and with the participation of the Executive Director of Libya National Channel, Khaled Othman, journalists Mahmoud Al-Sharaksi and Saleh Kamel, Dr. Mohamed Al-Ajam, and a number of journalists and media professionals. The session focused on the importance of building bridges of cooperation between academic institutions and media organizations to produce national talent capable of keeping pace with the rapid developments in the media sector.

The session addressed several topics related to developing successful journalists, emphasizing the importance of adhering to professional ethics, foremost among them credibility, objectivity, fact-checking, and the ability to deal with sources professionally. It also touched upon the most prominent challenges facing journalists, including the rapid flow of news and the spread of misinformation, and the need to develop technical skills and modern reporting methods.

The journalists offered a range of advice to the students, including the importance of continuous reading, developing writing and editing skills, and engaging in field training, stressing that journalism is a profession based on constant research and perseverance.

The Faculty of Media and Communication at the University of Tripoli confirmed that such visits are part of its plan to enhance professional development. To its students, enabling them to gain practical experience within media institutions, thus contributing to the development of their skills in various media disciplines.

...(LANA)...