1. TRAINING ON COLLECT, TREATMENT AND PUBLICATION OF NEWS (5 DAYS)
This training has been organized by MHC after its visit conducted to all media houses at the end of 2004 because one of the challenges observed on field was lack of basic skills among practicing journalists.
Period
October 2005: Public and private Print media houses.
May 2006: Public and private Broadcast media houses
Objectives
- Help journalists to get basic skills in professional practice ;
- Build the journalists dignity through professional functioning;
- Help journalists to understand their role in national development.
Beneficiaries
All accredited journalists working in Rwanda.
2. TRAINING OF MANAGERS OF MEDIA HOUSES (3 DAYS)
Period: December 2006
Themes
- Media power, Conflict, Conflict Management and Processes of Democratization in Africa;
- Law, Ethics, Media Responsibility and Society;
- Editorial principles, Newsroom practice and Editing;
- Media Management;
- Situational leadership;
- Investigative Journalism and round table debates, discussions and/or program moderation;
- Opinion writing and writing for influence;
- Beat reporting and interpretive reporting.
Beneficiaries
Managers and editors of all registered media houses operating in Rwanda.
3. TRAINING ON REGULATION AND SELF – REGULATION (5 days)
This training was the opportunity to explain the difference between media regulation and media self-regulation. The MHC got this opportunity to help media managers to understand what they are supposed to do in order to reduce the number of complaints that reached MHC.
Period: August 2007
Themes
1. Principles behind the development of democratic media;
- Why the media matter.
- The importance of different media and forms of communication in society and for development: An international and an African perspective.
- The meaning and significance of “in the public interest”?
2. What is social responsibility in relation to the media?
- The position and role of the local media in an integrated East African society.
3. Ethical standards in the media in general and in journalism in particular.
4. Forms of regulation: Economic, political and/or ethical.
- The need for and relevance of Media monitoring, regulation and self-regulation in the media in the East Africa sub-region.
5. The position of a journalist in low intensity conflict situations (the 5th dimension of warfare).
- The status of information;
- The actors, means, fields (terrain), target and the impact on society.
Beneficiaries
Managers and editors of all registered media houses operating in Rwanda.
4. TRAINING ON ACCESS TO INFORMATION (3 DAYS)
This training has been organised after several complaints of journalists about the access to information. Journalists claimed, saying that their rights are not respected.
Period: May-June 2008
Themes
- The role of the media in development;
- The rights and responsibilities of different authorities in the performance of journalists;
- Rights and responsibilities of journalists in the performance of different authorities;
- The national media policy;
- Media Code of conduct and media law.
Beneficiaries
- Managers, editors and journalists of all registered media houses in Rwanda both public and private;
- Communication and Public Relation officers in all public institutions;
- Security and Social affaires officers in all provinces and districts.
5. TRAINING ON MEDIA AND ELECTORAL PROCESSES (3 DAYS)
Period: August 2008
As it was an electoral period, media must monitor the electoral process to ensure the proper implementation of laws and avoid any kind of corruption in favor of a candidate or political party or any abuse of any class of voters.
The raison of this training was based on the experience that clearly shows that elections can be a key element in the resolution or the intensification of conflict. A well-run election process is an important factor in reducing the causes of conflict.
Therefore, it is essential to have free and fair elections to strengthen democracy and conflict prevention.
Objective
- Strengthen the capacities of journalists and awareness of their role and responsibility in the electoral process;
- Improve the knowledge of journalists on electoral process;
- Promoting ethical and professional conduct that guarantee pluralism, balance, equality and equity in information processing;
- Establishing a diagnosis of conditions in which the media can effectively support the democratic processes.
Themes
1. Media and Democracy;
2. The electoral process: the experience of the NEC;
3. Press freedom and electoral process;
4. Electoral campaign and media coverage;
5. Political parties and the electoral process;
6. Campaign and security;
7. Press freedom and electoral process;
8. Code of conduct for journalists during the election process.
Beneficiaries
- Managers, editors and journalists of all registered media houses in Rwanda both public and private;
6. TRAINING ON LABOR LAW IN RWANDA AND LAW AGAINST CORRUPTION IN RWANDA (5 DAYS)
This training has been organised to help media managers to get knowledge on staff management. This idea came after observing a problem of a big number of journalists of private media in Rwanda who work without contract and this means that the rights and obligations of both journalists and management were not respected.
This mismanagement end by having journalists who request facilities elsewhere and this is compared to corruption.
Period : Aout – Septembre 2009
Beneficiaries
- Managers, editors and journalists of all private and registered media houses in Rwanda.
7. TRAINING TO ENHANCE AND ENSURE FAIR AND PROFESSIONAL COVERAGE OF 2010 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN RWANDA (5DAYS)
The raison of this training was based on the experience that clearly shows that elections can be a key element in the resolution or the intensification of conflict. Therefore, it is essential to have free and fair elections to strengthen democracy and conflict prevention.
For this raison, journalists both public and private have been facilitated to understand clearly their responsibilities during electoral periods, especially 2010 presidential election in Rwanda.This training separated public and private journalits because on this matter, their responsibilities are differents.Beneficiaries:- Managers, editors and journalists of all registered media houses in Rwanda both public and private;Period: June 2010 for public media July 2010 for private mediaTopics Although a detailed training programme will be re-designed and agreed upon with all the partners to this initiative, the following are the critical themes/topics that will constitute and guide the making of the programme.PRIVATE MEDIA: media and election coverage• Media and democracy; • Electoral media coverage strategies;• Code of conduct of Journalists during electoral periods; • The electoral law.PUBLIC MEDIA: providing equal access to all competitors in elections and giving a voice to the public • Media and democracy; • MHC regulations governing equal access to airtime and space in the public media by all competing parties in the Presidential elections;• Rights, obligation and responsibilities of the public media during election periods;• Code of conduct of Journalists during electoral periods; • The electoral law.
