By Jones Gadama
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) has encouraged journalists in the Shire Valley to thoroughly cover all aspects of the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) cycle in their reporting.
According to Hastings Mwanjoka, Deputy Director for Disaster Resilience at DoDMA, the focus should shift from just reporting on disasters when they happen to also highlighting preparedness measures.
“We need to prepare the communities to reduce the impact of disasters,” Mwanjoka said.
He emphasized the importance of disseminating information on the DRM Act of 2023 and the country’s multi-hazard risk assessment to communities.
The call was made during a three-day Capacity Building Training for journalists organized by DoDMA with funding from Concern Worldwide in Chikwawa.
Journalists attending the training welcomed the initiative, with Precious Kadwala of Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) describing it as critical.
“This training will help us discharge our duties well, we will do better by focusing on the remaining stages of DRM cycle,” Kadwala said.
By focusing on disaster preparedness and risk reduction, journalists can play a crucial role in helping communities mitigate the impact of disasters.
The training highlights DoDMA’s efforts to enhance the capacity of journalists in reporting on disaster-related issues.
