Another
round of training of journalists on election reporting has been concluded, and
we would like to congratulate and thank the Gambia Press Union for the
extraordinary steps taken by the executive to ensure such a training course was
conducted.
While
the initiative demonstrates how the
Gambia Press Union is treading responsibly and ensuring a peaceful Gambia
through professional reporting of various shades of happenings, including
conduct of elections, the training course also continues to hone and edify
Gambian journalists’ reporting skills as they discharge their civic
responsibility in society.
Being
au fait with the tools of reporting elections is the starting point of good and
objective reporting, as well as laying of the foundation for shaping up
peaceful elections in the country.
In
his presentation before the closing ceremony of the training, GPU secretary
general Saikou Jammeh said the role of the press in election process is not to
preserve a bad status quo, but to ensure an atmosphere of peace and justice for
all. He admonished journalists to be able to have the interest, values and the
talents to be in the profession; otherwise such a person must not go in for
journalism.
We
must, therefore, applaud the GPU and supporting institutions and bodies like
the UNDP, who have continued to support and complement efforts at attaining
free, fair and peaceful elections in The Gambia.
And
one way of doing this is through the training of journalists to keep them
climbing the ladder of learning.
As
we practise, which is the hardest part of learning, we should continue to train
ourselves to continually transform and progress in our profession, in order to
discharge our journalistic responsibilities in such a way as to make this
country and, indeed, the world a better place for all.
“Practice
is the hardest part of learning, and training is the essence of
transformation.”