By Chikondi Manjawira
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The European Union-EU through Support to Parliament and Media to Strengthen Governance in the Agriculture Sector -SPMSGAg project has called on Journalists in the country to practice Evidence Based Journalism for good governance to triumph across the country.
Theresa Terry Davies, Team Leader for SPMSGAg made the call in Blantyre after a three-day workshop organized by European Union to train journalist on how to practice evidence based journalism.
Davies also mentioned the need for journalists to apart from going on the internet to get facts, know context, what studies they are referring to, have basic understanding of different types of tools that are available and track budgetary issues to do with Agriculture in parliament because Malawi’s economy is agro-based.
She further expressed her impression over the delegates who attended the workshop.
“The workshop had over 150 participants which is very impressive. The way forward of the program is to present the opportunity for journalists to attend debriefing policy review in the Agriculture sector.
That is going to set a good foundation for decision making, thinking, understanding the sector and the options that are open to Malawi, explained Davies”.
The program also provide journalists with the chance to self select and join the project for a very special mentoring, coaching and attachment.
Through the workshop, it has been noted that there are some gaps that media in Malawi has in evidence based journalism such as a lot of advertising by media houses and Institutions for young people to join the system and inadequate finances to provide necessary training that perhaps EU can offer through the SPMSGAg project.
SPMAGAg Team Leader further said that, for journalists to practice what has been taught at the workshop.
EU through SPMAGAg is open to individual journalists approaching the project to find synergies to work together.
She mentioned a heavily funded Kulima project as one of the projects she can work on together with journalists that would come forward and be groomed.
EU through SPMAGAg project will launch journalism centre scheme shortly and part of the outcomes of the just ended workshop is going to determine the right incentives that are going to excite journalists and also give them choice to do more investigative stories.
