By Precious D Freeman
The Female Journalist Association of Liberia (FeJAL) has commenced three-day training on building the capacity of female journalists and creating mentorship.
The workshop which was held in Ganta, Nimba County yesterday brought together 20 female journalists from across the country who participated in the activities.
The workshop is funded by the United Agency International Development (USAID), Media Activity through Internews and implemented by FeJAL.
USAID Media Activity will enhance the effectiveness of Liberian Media in serving as a conduct for citizen voices and government response, strengthen media sustainability and enrich the human and institutional capacity of the media, while advocating for and maintaining current media freedoms to reliably carry out responsible journalism, drive reforms and increase revenue through four intertwined objectives.
Speaking at the opening, the president of FeJAL, Siatta Scott-Johnson revealed that the essence of the workshop is intended to improve the writing skills, the basic knowledge, the interviewing skills, and the basic journalism skills of the female journalists.
According to her, the workshop is the second phase of the five-year project that is funded by USAID, and that 20 female journalists from various counties including Montserrado, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Bassa , Rivercess among others benefitted from the first phase of the workshop that was held in Monrovia.
She explained that during the first phase of the workshop they trained 20 entry levels female journalists, adding that in the second phase they will be training another 20 emerging female journalists who have two or over two-year experience in journalism.
Madam Scott-Johnson maintained that the workshop will guide the participants through the process of basic journalism, and will also know how to keep a good record in the newsroom.
“The reason why we are undertaking basic journalism is because some of the female journalists in the county do not have the opportunity to attend the Mass communication schools, and most of the things they do on radio is what they see people doing because they don’t have means of structuring a news print unless they come across it in another news,” she mentioned.
FeJAL boss believes that after the training those of the female journalists in the rural areas will be very strong in the newsroom and share their challenges with their mentors that will be assigned to them not in a negative way but rather positive.
She stated further that after the capacity building workshop, each journalist will be assigned to a mentor who will guide them, noting that there will be lots of follow-ups done on each of the participants to ensure their improvement.
Meanwhile, the FeJAL vice president, who is also the acting Managing Editor for the Inquirer Newspaper, Madam C. Winnie Saywah-Jimmy cautioned female journalists to take the initiative of themselves and not to depend on their male counterparts.
