Liberia: WASH Journalists renew commitment
…As WASH Reporters, Editors End Training – By: WASH R&E Network – Liberian journalists reporting on the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector have reiterated that they remain committed to the provision of professional coverage and reportage on WASH issues across the country.
Day One of the 2-Day WASH Media Orientation with the 1st Facilitator, J. Cholo Brooks-Managing Editor-The Labor Times, speaking on the Topic: “Prioritizing Stories with focus on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)”
Day One of the 2-Day WASH Media Orientation with the 2nd Facilitator, Charles B. Coffey, Jr.-S.G-PUL & Public Affairs Director-LBS, speaking on the Topic: “Importance of WASH Journalism”
WASH R&E Chairman, Augustine N. Myers lecturing on the “Way forward for WASH Journalism in Liberia” an Interactive Section on Day Two
Group 1 Discussion on the second day of the WASH Media Training
According to the Liberian media practitioners, WASH Journalism in Liberia is an important milestone in the Media Landscape.
They pointed out that WASH Journalism is taking the center stage in Liberia with print and electronic media practitioners now having a developed interest in water, sanitation and hygiene issues.
The Liberian media practitioners spoke over the weekend (Friday and Saturday, May 24-25, 2013) during a 2-Day Media Orientation Workshop on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).
Group 2 Discussion on the second day of the WASH Media Training
The Training was organized by the WASH Reporters & Editors Network of Liberia (WASH R&E), in partnership with the Liberia Media Empowerment & Advocacy Foundation (LIMEAF INC.), with support from WaterAid in Liberia and Sierra Leone, “a Member of the Liberia WASH Consortium”.
The 2-Day Orientation Training Workshop which was held under the theme: “Focus on WASH Journalism, a Key Priority”, took place in the Conference Room of the WASH Reporters & Editors Network of Liberia in Central Monrovia. It brought together selected WASH Reporters and Editors from 15 Media Institutions in the Country.
The Liberian WASH journalists stressed the importance of exclusive media focus on water, sanitation and hygiene issues.
According to them, apart from the low level of access to water and sanitation services by poor communities, limited access to information in the past presented a major challenge to improving and sustaining WASH service delivery.
They renewed their commitments to ensuring increased WASH Media attention, strengthen capacity and create bigger platforms to articulate community voices which they described as extremely important in order to lobby or advocate on water and sanitation issues on a much larger scale.
The 2-Day WASH Orientation Training Workshop was interactive and facilitated by two prominent Liberian journalists and WASH senior Media practitioners.
The first Facilitator, J. Cholo Brooks-Managing Editor of The Labor Times News Paper, spoke on the Topic: “Prioritizing Stories with focus on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)”.
Mr. Brooks a Former British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Stranger in Liberia urged Liberian WASH journalists to remain focused and continue to prioritize issues from the WASH sector.
He called for robust awareness on water, sanitation and hygiene through constant media coverage and reportage.
The senior Liberian media practitioner also said WASH journalists have the responsibility to ensure that citizens and other foreign residents have access to safe water, improved sanitation and hygiene facilities.
According to him, Water is very important for life and that Sanitation and hygiene are critical to health, survival, and development.
Mr. Brooks expressed admiration and appreciation for the formation of the WASH Reporters and Editors Network of Liberia, stressing that the Group of professional journalists is doing remarkably well in helping to transform the water and sanitation sector.
He also used the occasion to call for support to the WASH Reporters & Editors Network of Liberia “WAH R&E” to enhance the Network’s activities and productivity.
For his part, the 2nd Facilitator, Charles B. Coffey, Jr. Secretary General of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) and also Director of Public Affairs at the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS), spoke on the Topic: “Importance of WASH Journalism”.
Mr. Coffey cautioned Liberian WASH journalists to remain focused and persistent in their reportage.
According to him, this will continue to ensure that their stories trigger the much needed change in Liberia’s WASH Sector for the benefit of the Country and people.
The PUL Chief Scribe told participants that the lack of safe drinking water, better sanitation and hygiene facilities has created a serious, social, economic, and health problems in Liberia.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the WASH Reporters & Editors Network of Liberia, Augustine N. Myers said Developing the capacity of WASH journalists through training opportunities to foster increased media attention on water, sanitation and hygiene issues, cannot be over emphasized.
According to Mr. Myers, the WASH Media Orientation Workshop was designed to enhance the professional capacity of WASH journalists and it serves as refresher training.
He stressed that access to water and sanitation for all would be one of the most important achievements, and that it would signal the start of a new period.
The 2-Day WASH Orientation Workshop brought together selected WASH Reporters and Editors from 15 Media Institutions in Liberia.
The WASH Media Training Workshop is part of the Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Reporters & Editors Network’s activities for 2013/2014, supported by WaterAid in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
