Media Training for the 2007 Elections Programme

Background

The media training component is a response to gaps that exist in media houses which need to be addressed in order to improve coverage of the 2007 General Elections. The national media training initiative aims to enhance the capacity of journalists and broadcasters in central regions of the country as well as regional areas in fair, impartial and balanced electoral reporting.

For elections to be free and fair, the media need to be equipped with skills to play their agenda setting and opinion shaping role effectively. Thus, journalists and correspondents need to be equipped with the necessary skills to play their role well. Of particular, they need to be conversant with the various codes of conduct and ethics and the electoral process.

Objectives of the programme

1. To equip journalists with skills to cover and report on elections professionally
2. To promote ethical practice in election coverage and reporting, including hate speech, corruption, conflict management, women aspirants and ethnicity
3. To enhance journalists’ understanding of the electoral process
4. To expose journalists to the Media Council of Kenya Guidelines for Elections Reporting and the Code of Ethics and Practice of Journalism.

To meet these objectives, training workshops are going on throughout the whole country targeting about 300 journalists. The training will target male and female editors, reporters, sub-editors, political writers and correspondents working in the mainstream as well as alternative press, drawn from both private and public media houses (print and electronic.

The trainings will be carried out between August and November 2007 in Naivasha, Nairobi, Mombasa, Machakos, Nakuru, Kakamega and Nyeri. The training will be conducted by competent male and female trainers with expertise and hands-on experience in both electronic and print media, media training, knowledge and rapport with various media houses as well as good communication and interpersonal skills.

The project is being implemented by the Media Council of Kenya.

For more information, see:
1. "Train the Trainers" course content
2. Schedule of the 1st and 2nd round of trainings
3. MCK Guidelines for Elections Reporting and the Code of Ethics and Practice of Journalism
4. Media Codes of Conduct: Overview
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