Oman Daily Observer last week welcomed a delegation of English Language and Translation students from the University of Nizwa for an educational tour designed to deepen their understanding of professional journalism. The visit, organised under the students’ Contemporary Events course, was led by their instructor Tammy Monono, who coordinated closely with the Observer team.
The students were received by Waleed al Jahwari, Sports Editor at Oman Observer, who introduced them to the newsroom — the core of the paper’s daily operations.
Waleed offered a detailed walk-through of the complete editorial workflow, from news gathering and verification to editing, design and final publication. He emphasised the newsroom’s core values of accuracy, neutrality and ethical reporting.
Explaining the fundamentals of newspaper structure, Waleed said, “Each edition is built around a main story — the most significant news of the day — supported by opinion columns and secondary stories that provide depth and context.”
His presentation prompted lively engagement, with students posing questions on editorial judgement, source selection and layout decisions.
Responding to queries about sourcing and news credibility, Waleed outlined the paper’s dependence on the Oman News Agency (ONA), in addition to international wire services such as AFP, dpa and Reuters. The students were also interested to learn that the Observer, established in 1981, was Oman’s first government-owned English-language daily under the Ministry of Information.
Addressing questions on objectivity, Khalid al Balushi, Editor at the Oman Arabic daily, elaborated on the multi-layered editing process. “Every news item passes through several editorial checks,” he said. “Language editors review grammar and clarity, followed by factual verification at the desk, then page design and finally the approval of the Editor-in-Chief. This ensures accuracy and impartiality in every published piece.”
A key highlight of the visit was a dedicated session with Editor-in-Chief Abdullah bin Salim al Shueili, who met the students and shared motivational insights. Praising their enthusiasm, he said, “Today, you have opportunities we never had. Use them wisely, and let your knowledge and skills serve your nation.” He urged students to strive for excellence and take pride in contributing to the country’s media future.
The students expressed deep appreciation for the visit, noting that it enriched their classroom learning and strengthened their confidence as aspiring translators and journalists. The visit reaffirmed the role of academic–media collaboration in shaping future professionals and promoting the national press as a credible source of reliable news.
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