By Mama A. Touray
DECAF Geneva Centre for security sector governance, Monday kicked-start five-day training on election reporting for 30 journalists in The Gambia.
The on-going training is currently taking place at the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA) in Bakau with the aim of promoting security sector responsiveness and accountability in the framework of the elections in The Gambia.
Speaking to The Voice at the training, Yankuba Manneh, one of the trainers of the thirty young journalists said the training is important and timely as the country is in election era. “And the role of the journalists is very critical in ensuring that the peace and stability of this country is continue and does not in any way destroy because elections are for the citizens to make a decision of who is to rule them for the next five years.’’
He added that ‘’DECAF saw the need to come up with this training where journalists’ capacities will be enhanced on election reporting. We will be looking at nine modules which inlcude monitoring and reporting, role and responsibilities of journalists in election period and so on,” he disclosed.
Omar Bah, a participant at the on-going training highlighted the importance of the training stated that ‘’The training is important because the 2021 presidential election is unique in its own and rights in its own way, the reality is that in a democratic country or atmosphere as the field is levelled for all the aspirants and it makes it tricky because people are no more afraid and scared. For journalists where they will be trained on how to report responsibly, fairly and give equal right to all media houses while they make sure that they follow the ethical standard of journalism.’’
Bah added that the five days training will help journalists to have better understanding on how to ethically report in this coming elections without putting themselves into trouble and their repetition which he described as the number one pillar that if a journalists loose that his/her credibility will be gone.
Binta S. Jawo, also a participant at the training said ‘’The importance of this training cannot be over emphasized but my expectations are to learn on how to report on crisis zone, if you are reporting and violence erupts how are you going to manage the situation or if you sharing live coverage and someone is castigating other people or propagating hate speech how to report, it.”
She thanked DECAF through the Gambia Press Union for organizing this training and inviting journalists in this crucial time that the country is facing the elections.
