Assistant Information Minister for Technical Services Daniel N. Thomas, has said that the ongoing food distribution has given rise to a number of crucual matters that require proper, effective and professional public education through the media.
Speaking at the opening of a one-day refresher workshop for journalists recently at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism in Monrovia, Mr. Thomas said the training for the media was intended for the prticipants to have a better and clearer understanding of the ongoing food distribution.
He said the exsercise was in no way meant to take away from what media practioners already know about the ongoing food distribution, but to simply help sharpen their skills to enabel them professionally handle relevant isssues arsing from the ongoing food distribution.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the workshop was held by the National Steering Cmmittee on the Stimulus Package, through its Sub-committee on Communication.
The release said the ongoing food distribution has witnessed frequent application of expressions such as vulnerability, moderately vulnerable and extremely vulnerable, among others.
It noted further that unless a platform was provided for members of the media community, especially those covering the ongoing food distribution to take a professional look at such expressions (vulnerable, not vulnerable, moderately vulnerable and extremely vulnerable) as well as the criteria used in arriving at such categories of people, professional reportage by the media could be undermined.
During the workshop, various topics of relevance to the ongoing food distribution were given an overview, including update on the the COVID-19 Household Food Support Program(COHFSP), a presentation on selection/targeting criteria, the role of journalists in achieving the COHFSP objectives, among others.
The exercise also drew presentations from Aaron Sieh, Amos Ballayan and Emannuel Anderson of the World Food Programme. The exrcise was graced by more than 25 journalists from print and electronic media institutions from around Monrovia. Press Release
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