Media practitioners in developing world asked to be proactive

A senior project manager of an international media organisation said overcoming the dearth of poverty in developing world would partly dependent on journalists' readiness to shape public opinion. Mr Hans-Jurgen Boesel, the Senior Project Manager of the International Institute for Journalism (IIJ), Berlin, Germany, said journalists could do so by providing comprehensive information to the people and acting as a critical check on political powers. He said if more reporters are trained to develop competencies in economic reporting, that might help them to understand the factors that determine domestic and global economy. Mr Boesel, was speaking at the opening an eight-week seminar on financial reporting for journalists at the IIJ, in Berlin Germany on Friday. He said reporters could use their experience to report or write to help their leaders to devise better strategies to improve the livelihood of the people. Mr Boesel said globalization placed additional task on the media, which was required to understand the intricacies of concepts and how to synthesize information to help people organise their lives. This, he explained was because although the occurrence had made countries and people more inter-dependent, "at the same time, it is getting more difficult for the individual to understand and interpret these cross-border transactions." Mr Boesel said "In order to take intelligent and responsible decisions in and for society, it is, however, crucial to understand the impact of multinational exchange on the everyday life of people." He said this placed particular duty on journalists who were asked like nobody else to comprehend events and explain them to their readers, thus, helping them master their lives. Mr Boesel charged media practitioners to make economic journalism cornerstone not only to sustain their profession, but also to promote sustainable business development. He called on journalists to ensure that their information was accurate and timely and to write on future economic trends and their impact on people and business entities. The Head of IIJ, Madam Astrid Kohl said the organization, which was an integral part of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development, sought to promote independent and critical reportage, which, she said was central in monitoring decision makers in politics and business. She said "Only well-trained journalists can fulfil the role as critical watchdogs helping to create transparency and to hold government and business accountable." Participants will gain knowledge on how to report on national budgets and economic policies, the international financial system, global economic issues and the world trade system. The seminar is part of a wider capacity effort that the Institute has engaged in since 1964 with the aim of strengthening the professional skills of the participating journalists. The course also offers a platform for the exchange of ideas and experience as part of the continuing dialogue between Germany and other nations. Participating in this year's programme are journalists from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, China, India and Indonesia.