I s s u e 6
- S E P T E M B E R, 1 9 9
9
Communication
Centres for the Independent Media
Media Project
Training Courses get high evaluation rates…
…And expose the very high gender unbalance
within the media
Reporting
for Radio
COMMUNICATION
CENTERS FOR THE INDEPENDENT
MEDIA
In another major move on to a new phase for further support to the emerging
independent media in the country, the UNESCO Media Development
Project is about to initiate a process for establishment of three
“ Communication Centers” for use by the independent press.
This important decision represents the very first stage of
implementation of the recommendations coming out of the large
national “ Media Pluralism Landscape” study, released by the
Project Monitoring Committee in its meeting of August 19 in Maputo.
The three integrated communication centers, to be established in an
experimental basis in three provincial capitals, will cater for a
number of the needs expressed by the independent media during the
research phase as well as towards the Project Management Team in
consultation with the sector: access to equipment, access to
internet and e-mail as well as small scale printing facilities.
The independent media strongly welcomed the announcement of the
decision, made in a press conference organized in Maputo for the
public presentation of the results and recommendations of the study.
The creation of these centers results originally from the project
document’s immediate objective 8, which advises for the
establishment of “editorial teams and newsrooms in three
provincial capital” and the provision of “material and other
equipment resources to independent media”
Bearing in mind this specific objective, the study recommended that
emerging the concepts of newsrooms, media resource centers, Internet
Cafes and Telecentes, the Communications Centers would serve better
the interests of the independent press.
Capital issues to be discussed include the management of the
Communication Centers, sustainability potential, equipment maintenance
and repair, among other.
The meeting is scheduled for September 16 in Maputo.
 Media Project Training
Courses get high evaluation rates…
“Very Good” is how more than 65%
of the journalists and editors who attended the Media Development
Project’s training activities over the last 12 months evaluated
the quality level of the courses.
More than 150 journalists, editors and media managers attended the
Media Project’s nine training courses organized regionally
throughout the country since October 98.
Organized in collaboration with the Nordic-SADC Journalism Center in
Maputo, the two-week courses covered three main subjects: Reporting
on Democracy and Human Rights; Economic, Financial and Rural
Development Reporting and “Starting a newspaper”.
The two last courses, took place in July and August, in Nampula and
Pequenos Libombos (Maputo) respectively.
…And
expose the very high gender unbalance within the media
Participation percentages
between male and female journalists again confirm the prevailing
high unbalance in the media sector: a total of just 29 female
participants (21%) against 124 male colleagues (79%),
In spite of continuous
mobilization and encouragement efforts from the project for women
journalists to apply for the courses.
Judging from our course records, female media practitioners presence
tend to be
weaker and sporadic as we
are progressing from junior positions to the most senior ones, as
fewer female than man professionals are properly trained.
The Media Pluralism
Landscape study indicates that across all sectors and Provinces,
including employed staff, volunteers and freelancers, women
represent in average 25% of all media personnel
Reporting for Radio
Towards the end of
September a special course on “Elections Reporting” will be
organized in Maputo, for editors and sub-editors from Radio
Mozambique Public station.
Originally, and as
foreseen in the Project Document, the plan was to organize “two
training courses for editorial staff working on public service radio
and community radio on news and current affairs production and
dissemination”.
But given the
particular specificity of two types of broadcast media, a final
decision was taken for the project to organize separate courses,
with different approaches and contents.
A training course on “Reporting for
Community Radio is foreseen for February 2000
Media
Development Project
c/o UNESCO, P.O.Box 1397 Maputo, Mozambique
Tel. +
258.1. 498752/ 490840 Fax +258.1.498717
E-mail: unesco@mediamoz.com
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