By Bill W. Cooper
The Liberia Electricity Regulatory Commission (LERC) yesterday, held a one-day media engagement and workshop for journalists on the country’s electricity sector regulatory framework.
The workshop, which took place in Monrovia, aimed at enhancing the understanding of journalists on the regulatory framework governing the electricity sector in Liberia.
The day-long training workshop was also attended by over 30 journalists from various media outlets across the country, including print, broadcast, and online media respectively.
The Chairperson of the LERC Board of Commissioners, Lawrence D. Sekajipo emphasized the importance of the media in promoting transparency and accountability in the electricity sector.
He urged journalists to use their platforms to educate the public on the regulatory framework governing the sector, as well as to hold regulatory bodies and electricity providers accountable for their actions.
Dr. Sekajipo pledged the LERC support to working with various media institutions which he said would help the LERC to identify gaps in media coverage, as well as to provide feedback to journalists on their reporting.
He added that he hope the workshop will lead to more informed and objective reporting on the electricity sector in Liberia, ultimately leading to positive changes and improvements in the sector.
Meanwhile, participants were given an overview of the regulatory framework governing the electricity sector in Liberia, including the roles and responsibilities of the LERC, as well as the laws and regulations that govern the sector.
During the workshop, participants were also briefed on the challenges facing the electricity sector in Liberia, including issues related to access to electricity, affordability, and reliability.
The participating journalists were also encouraged to report on these issues accurately and objectively, without bias in order to raise awareness and promote transparency in the sector.
Also, the training workshop included sessions on the importance of investigative journalism in reporting on the electricity sector, as well as the role of the media in holding regulatory bodies and electricity providers accountable.
Participants were further given practical tips on how to conduct investigative reporting on the electricity sector, including how to access and analyze data, interview key stakeholders, and verify information.
Journalists were also schooled the electricity regulations, economic regulations, technical regulations, regulatory database management system (RDMS) and the review of the commission’s resources/website and other materials.
