Scribes challenged to report beyond events

...Saili said journalists will require an extra eye for innovativeness and creativeness to report on the abundant activities of great interest to the people of Zambia.

By Francis Maingaila

Lusaka (18-04-23) - The Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) director Loyce Saili has challenged journalists to go beyond events in capturing what is happening in the country.

Saili told journalists when she officiated at the official opening of a three days media workshop for journalists on agroecology at Taj Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka organized by Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELU) Zambia that the country is faced with so many challenges including social, economic, political affecting the people and the media must ensure that all these issues are highlighted.

Saili said journalists will require an extra eye for innovativeness and creativeness to report on the abundant activities of great interest to the people of Zambia.

Besides the many activities, Saili explained, Zambia has abundant resources which can make the country rich save that the available wealth is not often reported in the media.

Saili particularly cited the agriculture industry which is often ignored in preference to political activities as the most ignore sector by the media and urged the journalists to take particular interest in it.

She said the onus is now on journalists the journalists to focus on developmental issues that can contribute greatly towards a better Zambia which all the people crave to have.

She urged the media to always be professional in their reporting and ensure that when reporting, journalists should not only be balanced but also factual supported by evidence where necessary.

She further expressed an urgent need for journalists to come up with the solutions to the problems the society is facing today saying it by providing solutions that the problems at hand will be eliminated.

She said the country wants information and only then will the people come to know how will best deal with the problems at hand.

She said only well-informed journalists will be in the know to deliver the desired information to the public to up the people to contribute to the nation's development.

Saili said the media plays a critical role in the dissemination of information and urged journalists to take particular interest in matters of agriculture.

She added that with the country having been affected by the effects of climate change that is slowly leading to food insecurity it is prudent that the media develop interest and acquire knowledge on sustainable agriculture that can help farmers produce yields despite the challenges.

She commended Pelum Zambia and its partners for coming up with the media capacity-building workshop not only to train journalists but also to find ways in which the beneficiary of the training can develop an interest in reporting on agriculture.

And speaking at the same event, PELUM Zambia and Knowledge Hub Southern Africa country coordinator Mr. Muketoi Wamunyima called on the media to disseminate information on organic agriculture which he says can withstand the effects of climate change by restoring nutrients to the soil.

Wamunyima told journalists that part of the KHSA activities is to promote organic agric and knowledge sharing in the regions.

Wamunyima said agriculture is topical in the recent past due to its position and the solution to the challenges it faces is found in knowledge sharing among the people.

He said PELUM working with cooperating partners come up with the media capacity building to impart information about agriculture with the hope that journalists will get the information to the people.

He said well-trained journalists can help to bring about positive social change in the society and promise to continue empowering journalists with the desired information to bridge the missing link in the minds of the people in the promotion of sustainable agriculture to cure the food gap in society today.