MONROVIA – As part of its many efforts aimed at enhancing the capacity of Liberian journalists to diversify their reportage in the forest sector, the Liberia Media Center (LMC) has concluded a daylong Training of Trainers (ToT) with newsroom editors and senior reporters..
The LMC’s one-day clinic, with support from the Multi-stakeholders Forestry Governance Project (MFGAP), which brought together editors and senior reporters from diverse media outlets including the print, electronic and online was held at a local hotel in Paynesville City, outside Monrovia.
Speaking at the occasion, the Program Officer at the LMC and lead facilitator at the daylong forum, Mr. Francis Brewer, stressed the importance of the media role in society and urged Liberian journalists to diversify their reportage to other thematic areas such as the forest sector.
According to Mr. Brewer, the training was aimed at bringing media managers up to speed so that they are aware of issues within the forest sector to improve and increase their coverage in the sector.
“The intention of this training is to bring media managers up to speed so that they are aware of what we are doing in the forest sector. This is to improve and increase media coverage in the forest sector. We have conducted series of trainings in different thematic areas including the Freedom of Information Act, investigative reporting and this time, we are having this editors’ training,” stated the LMC Program Officer.
“This is geared to enable editors to have the leverage of what has been ongoing in the sector. This is meant for us to brainstorm on issues bordering the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) and other issues regarding the forest sector,” he added.
The LMC Officer-In-Charge, Victor A. Menyou, who also made remaks at the occasion, stated that the one-day training was geared toward capacitating editors to learn more about the forest sector.
“There is need that we cover the forest sector effectively and efficiently. It is through the media that the society voice will be amplified and it is through the media that the concessionaires will be able to live up to their responsibilities,” said Menyou, who emphasized that “there is a serious need for [media] media to be in this program.”
