CEMESP, Partners Train Journalists In Investigative, Anti-Corruption Reporting
Monrovia – The Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding (CEMESP), in partnership with the Media Foundation For West Africa (MFWA) has trained over 15 journalists on Investigative and Anti-Corruption Reporting in Liberia.
During the one day training workshop, CEMESP and partners, launched a Simplified Freedom of Information Act Manual for Journalists which they said, is intended to serve as a guide to help media practitioners to fully understand and utilize the FOI Law.
The project is being implemented by the Center for Media Studies and Peacebuilding (CEMESP), Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) with funding from the government of Netherlands under the titled: Enhancing Press Freedom, Women’s Digital Rights and Accountable Governance in Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
In remarks, CEMESP Executive Director, Malcolm Joseph noted that the Manual is also intended for citizens and information holders to have access and understand the Liberia Information Act that was passed since 2010.
He furthered that the training is to ensure that journalists use the FOI law in their Investigative and Anti-corruption reporting.
For his part, the Deputy Minister for Administration at MICAT Atty. Daniel Gayou lauded CEMESP and the Media Foundation for West Africa for the initiative; saying, the simplification of the Act will help ease comprehension for journalists.
According to him, the FOI is a transformative tool for transparency and accountability in governance but added that since it was enacted in 2010 legislatively, it has not been fully utilized.
He furthered that the underutilization of the FOI Law give room for speculation and suspicion in the public, adding that if it used these things will be eradicated or reduced to some extent.
Representing his boss at the occasion, Atty Gayou said, he hopes that the FOI Training manual will benefit more journalists across the country adding that it should put to standards the quality of national debates that is geared towards impacting the lives of citizens within the country.
Gayou concluded his remarks by launching the simplified FOI Manual for journalists in Liberia held on Friday, July 29, 2022 in Monrovia.
Charles Coffey on behalf of the Press Union of Liberia, also lauded the project objective noting that, access to information helps the public make information holders accountable for their actions. He said, an information empowers citizens to be counterproductive and are able to participate in good governance.
“Today Manual is very important because, access to information helps public make, public authority accountable for their actions. It allows and make the public to be better informed and more productive” he said
He continued: “access to official information can also groove public confidence and trust in government and corporate sectors and information holders must be responsive to their statutory obligation”
