THE Journalists’ Environmental Association of Tanzania (JET) is conducting refresher training for 25 journalists on biodiversity conservation.
The training which started on Tuesday in Bagamoyo District, Coast region, intends to empower journalists from different media houses of Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar, including 15 junior scribes.
A report released by JET Executive Director, Mr John Chikomo said the training is funded by the ‘USAID Tuhifadhi Maliasili Activity and is building on training conducted in FY22.
Through training, Mr Chikomo said, journalists will be empowered to ensure that they have the right knowledge, skills and attitude to be able to conduct investigative reporting on biodiversity conservation, combating wildlife crime and climate change issues.
He noted that the two-day training that is held at the Millennium Sea Breeze Resorts, Bagamoyo, is expected to fill in the gap between the desired performance and the current performance. The activity is under the Project Name: Media and Journalism Training on Tuhifadhi Maliasili Activity.
The director mentioned objectives of the teaching as making sure journalists have sufficient knowledge of corridor conservation issues, particularly those pertaining to wildlife connectivity, marine and forest conservation, trafficking and poaching and the promotion of wildlife conservation and tourism.
It is also aimed to improve the quality of media reporting on the coverage of corridors/wildlife connectivity and other biodiversity conservation issues and assist journalists acquire the requisite skills to enable editors disseminate to the public the knowledge they have gained, so that various sections of the public may take appropriate action.
Mr Chikomo expounded that expected outcomes of the journalists training are for Tanzanian journalists to attain the capacity and knowledge of corridor conservation issues to effectively investigate, report and analyze wildlife connectivity, marine and forest conservation, trafficking and poaching and the promotion of wildlife conservation and tourism issues.
USAID Tuhifadhi Maliasili, through JET, trains and helps create an enabling environment for journalists to investigate and report adequately on conservation issues. After the training, USAID Tuhifadhi Maliasili through JET will support journalists to visit wildlife corridors and other natural forest reserve, which is home to over 1,000 natural plant species, to learn how local authorities and communities living nearby are conserving the corridors.
