Media Agenda training of journalists on voter education underway

Media Agenda, a media training and research NGO, would today, 22 August, start a training for 100 journalists on voter education through a project funded by the US Embassy in Banjul.

The training, which runs through 30 August 2016, will be held at Tango conference hall and Transgambia Lodge in Pakalinding, Soma.

In an interview with The Point newspaper, Madi M.K. Ceesay, founder and director of Media Agenda, said the project aims at training 100 journalists working in both print and electronic media organisations in The Gambia.

Twenty-seven community, commercial and privately owned radio stations, the national radio and five major newspapers would take part in the training.

“The training will first start with message development workshop to train participants to craft sharp voter education messages.  These messages will later be relayed over radios and newspapers,” he said.

The project seeks to increase civic engagement, improve voter education and reduce the threat of violence in the coming presidential and parliamentary elections.

Mr Ceesay said the workshops will be implemented in three phases: the message development workshop to take place at TANGO conference hall, an orientation workshop at the same venue, and another orientation workshop for community radios at Transgambia Lodge on 29 August 2016.

He explained that Media Agenda has a wealth of experience in media development and trainings for it has implemented numerous media trainings and consultancies since establishment in 2006.

Ceesay said his organisation currently collaborates with Insight Training Centre to establish a school of journalism where certificate and diploma courses would be taught.

In December 2015, Media Agenda engaged 50 radio journalists in a weeklong training to promote media independence and pluralism, and development of community media.

In 2009, the US Embassy in collaboration with the UK Embassy funded the training of a dozen civil and security personnel on media-security relations.

In 2008, the agenda trained 12 human rights journalist in The Gambia, and in 2007, through the support of National Commission for UNESCO NAT-COM, Media Agenda trained more than 200 journalists within three months in various aspects of journalism.