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Media network on population,
development launched |
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ADDIS
ABEBA(December 12,2008) - A media network on Population
and Development which is supported by United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA) was launched on Thursday.
The launching of the network took place at the end of a three-day
training workshop organized for the journalists forming the network.
The workshop acquainted the journalists with such issues as population
and development; the advocacy component of the National Population
Policy Plan of Action; the role of the media in reporting population
and development; and advocacy skills in reporting on Sexual and Reproductive
Health.
Making a remark at the workshop Genet Mengistu, Head of the Population
Department at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, said
that IEC/BCC and advocacy efforts, including those undertaken by the
media, have continued to bring about positive change in attitude on
population and development issues among the general public and policy
makers respectively.
She noted, however, that the interventions have been poorly coordinated
and that there was a need to intensify them, where the involvement
of the media is crucial.
Jude Edochie, Deputy UNFPA Representative to Ethiopia, noted on his
part that UNFPA duly believes that the media is a dynamic and essential
component of society with the primary responsibility of advocating
issues of public concern and disseminating accurate information with
a view to bringing about change.
He went on to state that the media has an important role in bringing
reproductive health, population and development, and gender issues
high on the agenda.
He added that UNFPA has identified the media as a crucial channel
in its advocacy efforts and it will closely work with the newly established
network.
The media network will be responsible for the achievement of outputs,
among others, creating a pool of media professionals having deep insight
on population and development issues; documenting media outputs revolving
around population and development areas in four regions namely Amhara,
Oromia, SNNPR and Addis Ababa; providing training to journalists on
effective reporting on population and development issues; and organizing
monthly round tables.
Twenty journalists drawn from government and private media took part
in the workshop organized jointly by UNFPA and Ethiopian Volunteer
Media Professionals Against AIDS (EVMPA). |
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