Training for African Journalists commences in Egypt

The 58th training programme for journalists across Africa, organised by the Union of African Journalists (UAJ), in partnership with the Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR) of Egypt, has commenced in Cairo, the capital of Egypt.

The three-week training programme is an annual event which affords African journalists the opportunity to build their capacities, acquire new skills in diverse areas, as well as network and share ideas on how best to tell the African story.

Areas of focus at this year training include energy in Africa, freedom of the press in the era of conflicts, social media and fake news, political and economic empowerment of African women, intra-Africa trade, challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence, effects of cyber security and terrorism.

Participants will also have the opportunity to interact with media organisations and professionals in Egypt.

Seventeen young journalists and executives of media unions from eight African countries- Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Congo Brazzaville, Chad, Nigeria, Morocco and Egypt are participating in this year’s training programme.

Challenges

The President of the SCMR, Karam Gabr, who officially opened the training programme at the National Radio and Television House of Egypt, advised journalists to use their media platforms to highlight the challenges confronting the continent.

Journalists, he said, had a duty to help tackle issues such as terrorism, extremism, conflicts and hate speech which inhibited the growth and development of Africa.

He also stressed on the importance for the media to educate people and create awareness about the need to protect African values which he said were being eroded due to the advent of social media, fake news and disinformation.

The training, he said, seeks to enhance the skills of African journalists to enable them contribute more positively to the development of their individual countries, and the African continent in general.

Importance

In a speech read on his behalf, the President of the UAJ, Mahfouz Al-Ansari, said the training was crucial in fostering Pan African cooperation on media and development.

He disclosed that more than 2,000 journalists had been trained since the inception of the programme, a situation which he said had positively impacted on the media landscape on the continent.

“One of the most important goal of our training courses is to create the create links between journalists from other African countries their colleagues in Egypt to enhance the understanding and mutual awareness of the issues and challenges affecting our continent,” he said.

Commendation

The President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Dr Christopher Isiguzo, lauded the UAJ and the SCMR for their commitments in sustaining the training programme for many years to continuously build the capacities of African journalists.

He urged the participants to use the training to further enhance their skills to improve journalism on the continent.

“Let us use this occasion not only to enhance our professional skills but also to forge lasting connections that transcend borders and strengthen the fabric of African journalism.

Together, we have the power to elevate our profession and amplify the voices of our communities,” he added.

Writer’s email: emma.hawkson@graphic.com.gh