JHR trains 40 Journalists on Human Rights, Covid-19 reporting

Organized by Journalists for Human Rights (JHR), the three-day forum formed parts of series of journalism fellowships earmarked for Gambian journalists this year.

The training seeks to motivate journalists to improve their reporting on Covid-19 from the human rights point of view.

At the opening, Muhammed S. Bah, vice president of The Gambia Press Union (GPU) underscored the importance of the training, reminding that reporting on human rights issues is key in serving as voice of the voiceless.

“Covid-19 is a global pandemic that has killed so many people and that the stories should told should go beyond numbers. Jobs have been lost as hotels are no more gaining what they usually have and the tourism sector is affected. This training will give u an idea as journalists on how to go about stories related to covid19."

Bah urged journalists to take the training seriously to improve their writing skills.

Also speaking, John Charles Njie, chairman of the CSO Coalition of The Gambia training, saying now is the time for journalists to be versatile and be equipped with information and knowledge to be able to their work responsibly.

CSO chair further called on journalists to be responsible with their work and take the training seriously.

Cherno Omar Bobb, a participant at the training, thanked the organisers for the forum, describing the training as ‘timely’ not just for him, but for other participants.

"This is because most of the time as journalists we write stories and not consider the human rights aspect and its impact will be huge knowing that some people are still in denial of the virus. But with the right training, journalists will be able to better inform their readers and audience as well as consider the human rights aspect of those they are reporting for."

He said his expectations are not only to learn from trainers, but also to be equipped with the right knowledge in reporting on COVID-19 issues.