Media Agenda Runs a Week long Training on Human Right Journalism Beginning Tomorrow

Media Agenda runs its first short periodic training of journalists on Tuesday the 4 March 2008.In all 12 journalists are taking part in this, drawn from both the print and electronic media. The training is on human right journalism. The media NGO is j organizing this training with the support from the embassies of the United States of America and that of the United Kingdom in Banjul.

 In an exclusive interview with this reporter, the deputy director of Media Agenda Mrs. Haddy Sillah said this is the first short periodic training. As you may know we are already in the business of facilitating training for Gambians journalists. Currently we have up to 22 journalists   who are being trained through distance learning programme. This training is done in collaboration with the African Virtual University and Professor Mukasa of Indiana University does the lectures.

Responding to some critics, with reference to daily observer editorial of 28 February 2008, who doubt what human rights, can the British and the American teach us.Sillah said we are not bringing any British or American to teach us human rights? What is happening is that these embassies support Media Agenda to run the training. We will have Nicholas kotch who is coming all the way from South Africa as the lead facilitator; he will be assisted by Alexandra Sicotte-Levesque and my self. So what are you talking? There are going to be other local presenters like the Child Protection Alliance (CPA), African Center for Human Rights and Democracy Studies, the African Commission on Human and people’s Right and UNICEF and the Department of Sate for Justice and others will part take, so what are the critics saying. Let them go on talking and we will go on doing what is best for the Gambia and its people. As far as the Media Agenda is concern we will not leave any stone unturned in search of help in training our journalists.

It is rather unfortunate that some of these critics have a hidden agenda. What is wrong in getting a help from the Americans and the British? How much help did the some local newspapers got help from the two? It may be good for them to find out some of the assistance their institutions have from the two in the past.

Asked what the expected out come of this training are, Sillah said professional journalism in reporting human rights issues. People cannot handle issues if they do not have an adequate knowledge in them. Human right is a delegate issue and should therefore be treated properly and well. No amount of training is enough as a journalists and no one wants to be half baked, so this training will add more qualities to the way we handle human right issues.

Is there more trainings coming up? Oh yes! more and more will be coming. Media Agenda is going searching very well for support in other areas, like management in news rooms, environment, health, sport, and other areas which are relevant to our development.  I will not hesitate to ask anybody, institutions or organizations to contact us if they think they can help.