A cross-session of journalist at the workshop
MONROVIA – The Ministry of Health (MOH) in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners through the National Risk Communication Pillar have concluded a two-day intensive media capacity building workshop for some 50 media practitioners.
The workshop is intended to provide knowledge on monitoring and reporting Covid-19 rumors.
Speaking at the closed of the training Wednesday, November 18, 2020 at the Lutheran church in Sinkor, the WHO team lead for health emergency, Dr. Monday Julius called for a stronger media partnership.
He said such partnership is to provide the media with relevant information as a mean of educating the public regarding the increase in Coronavirus cases in Liberia.
Dr. Julius said the media has a critical role to play in providing factual information to the public especially with the partnership as a result of the training.
The WHO team lead for health emergency used the occasion to urge local media practitioners to ensure that their stories have objectives, noting, “In an area where there is an emergency lot of things are expected, people will want to know if there is proof on what they are facing, with efforts to encourage them to see light in the end.”
The health expert further said the teams at both the WHO and the MoH and other partners expect the media to help play a vital role by ensuring that the people get the facts in the simplest way.
Additionally, Dr. Julius said the country is faced with the second wave of COVID-19 and there is a need for a collective fight in defeating the pandemic.
The WHO Executive among others further said the training was the test of their unity and solidarity, emphasizing that no single government will go alone to defeat COVID-19.
Also speaking at the occasion was Press Union of Liberia (PUL) Vice President, Daniel Nyakonah, who expressed gratitude to the participants for taking key interest in acquiring knowledge that will allow them provide credible information to the public concerning the COVID-19.
He reaffirmed the media continual partnership in the fight against COVID-19.
Two participants representing the over three dozens journalists, Princess Howard–Gould and Jarp Davis, extolled the Liberian Ministry Health and WHO for conducting what they referred to as a rewarding training conducted through the National Risk Communication Pillar.
