Political debates and policy analysis attended by 25 female journalists (17 women, 7 men)
Introduction
This report provides an overview of the training organized by ARJ (Association of Reporters for Justice) in July 2022 on political debates and policy analysis. The training aimed to enhance the skills and knowledge of 25 female journalists (17 women, 7 men) in the field of political reporting. The event featured high-profile politicians who shared their experiences and insights with the participants.
Training Outcomes
Enhanced Political Reporting Skills: The training enabled the female journalists to develop a comprehensive understanding of political debates and policy analysis. They gained insights into effective reporting techniques and learned how to critically analyze political developments.
Strengthened Interviewing Skills: The participants had the opportunity to practice interviewing high-profile politicians during the training. They honed their skills in asking incisive questions, extracting valuable information, and presenting nuanced perspectives in their reporting.
Expanded Network: The workshop facilitated networking among the journalists and the invited politicians. This enabled the participants to establish valuable connections within the political sphere, fostering potential collaborations and future information sharing.
Lessons Learned
Importance of Balanced Reporting: The training emphasized the significance of providing balanced coverage of political events and policy analysis. The journalists learned to avoid bias and maintain neutrality in their reporting, thus ensuring that their news stories remain impartial and informative.
Effective Communication Strategies: The training highlighted the importance of effective communication strategies in political reporting. Journalists learned to convey complex policy issues in a clear and concise manner, ensuring that their news stories are accessible to a wide range of audiences.
News Stories
Following the training, the participants successfully aired/published 20 news stories related to political debates and policy analysis. These stories covered a diverse range of topics, including election campaigns, legislative developments, and government policies. The news stories reflected the participants’ improved skills in critically analyzing political events and presenting them in an engaging and informative manner.
Conclusion
The ARJ training on political debates and policy analysis provided valuable insights and practical skills to the 25 female journalists who attended. The outcomes included enhanced reporting skills, strengthened interviewing techniques, and expanded networks within the political sphere. The training also emphasized the importance of balanced reporting and effective communication strategies. The subsequent publication of 20 news stories showcased the participants’ ability to apply their newfound knowledge and skills in their journalistic work. Overall, the training proved to be a significant milestone in empowering female journalists in political reporting and contributing to informed public discourse.
Capacity development of the media sector
The media capacity needs assessment conducted by the Media High Council in 2019 revealed several capacity gaps among media practitioners and within media houses. Also, the Media barometer published recently revealed a huge gap in the capacity development of media sector. These gaps include lack of specialization, lack of modern professional equipment, limited access to continuous learning, limited capacities to engage with stakeholders for easy access to information and constant upgrading of their knowledge among others. The 2021 Rwanda Media Barometer revealed that only 59.6% Media practitioners access professional trainings, the contribution of media associations to media development was evaluated to be 67.8% and the compliance with professional standards is at 57.3%. Following this gap, the capacity building of media practitioners was conducted based on the needs of journalists. For this reporting period, 4 training were organized for Journalists in various technical subjects:
Training on conducting sports/Showbiz radio and TV Programmes professionally.
The training brought together 20 Sports and showbiz journalists from Radio and TVs including 1 female and 19 male journalists. During the training, participants gained skills on choosing relevant content which attracts the audience and gained skills on conducting interview with celebrities as well as establishing and maintaining good relations between a journalist and celebrities while at the same observing the journalistic values. After the training, participants pledged to conduct their showbiz and sports shows in a professional manner respecting the journalistic codes of conducts and audience’s needs. Based on the evaluation form provided to trainees after the training, ten out of 20 participants said that before the training, they had the basic capacity on covered topics but after the training nine out 20 improved to excellent capacity. After the training, participants committed to effectively report on sports and showbiz and respect the ethical values and to be characterized by adequate behaviors and appearance in their daily life and also vowed to promote gender balance in their reporting.
