Community Journalists in Nsanje Urged to Uphold Accuracy, Objectivity
NSANJE, Malawi- The District Commissioner for Nsanje, Dominic Mwandira, has called on community journalists in the area to maintain accuracy and objectivity when reporting on issues affecting their communities, writes Cornelius Lupenga.
Mwandira made the appeal on Friday while officially opening a two-day training workshop for community journalists organized by the Malawi Human Rights Resources Centre (MHRRC) at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) in Blantyre.
"The media plays a crucial role in the dissemination of information in society," Mwandira said.
"Community journalists have a task to uncover all things happening in the district."
He noted that Nsanje has numerous development projects underway that are worth reporting on and urged the participants to take the training seriously to effectively cover their respective areas.
MHRRC Executive Director Emma Kaliya said the organization is implementing a one-year project aimed at fighting inequality in communities.
To ensure effective coverage, MHRRC decided to train community journalists on unearthing hidden issues in their localities.
"Take this training seriously for your work to be much easier," Kaliya told participants. After the training, each journalist will receive a smartphone to aid their work.
One participant, Elizabeth Yesaya, hailed the training as an eye-opener, saying she previously lacked skills and knowledge in reporting.
The training, she said, will enable her to work more effectively.
MHRRC is implementing the project in Dowa, Ntchisi, and Nsanje with support from the Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) and DanChurch Aid (DCA).