UNMIL Media W’shop for Editors Ends
Forum
Monrovia, Liberia
Distributed by
The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
The workshop was organized by the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)
in collaboration with the Press Union of Liberia (PUL), with the theme:
“Empowering Media for Sustainable Peace.”
The workshop was aimed at sharpening the skills of media editors in their
day-to-day operations as final gatekeepers.
Several topics including the Research Investigation for News Reporting, Media Ethics, Interviewing Techniques, Media Management, among others were discussed.
Over 14 editors from the print and electronic media received certificates
of participation at the end of the workshop. Facilitators came from Liberia,
Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
During the closing program, PUL’s President Elizabeth Hoff, thanked
UNMIL for empowering Liberian media practitioners through training. She
called for more women participation in the Liberian media.
For his part, Paul Risley, spokesman for UN Mission in Liberia, described
the workshop as training of trainers. He said he appreciates the time spent
by the journalists thinking about how to convey information.
Mr. Risley said that one of the most responsibilities of journalists whether
print or radio is to provide information. “We are focusing on the
political side of that because this is exciting part; we know the best and
that is what we are interested in,” the UN spokesman noted.
He said election is coming after so many years of conflict and this is an
opportunity for Liberians to step into a new age. He said to make this transition
possible, journalists are to be at the forefront.
The U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Officer, Christiana Porche talked about
the free flow of information as being important to democracy. According
to her, looking at advancing democracy which involves proactive stand, media
practitioners are an equal partner because they are critical multiplier.
She said journalists will have to do more by conveying messages so that
lives can be saved. The U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Officer also said that
print media is significant because most of the intellectuals abroad are
looking up to the print to get more information.
Speaking on be half of the Minister of Information Dr. C. William Allen,
Deputy Information Minister for Planning and Research, Richmond Anderson,
called on Liberians media especially print to focus their reportage on elections
by educating the voters, saying that news papers should at least carry something
on the earpiece on elections.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister Anderson has offered five scholarships to five
female students desirous of studying Mass Communication at Symthe Institute
of Technology.
