Journalists in the Solomon Islands have completed a series of workshops aimed at improving their skills and knowledge. The workshops, which were conducted by the BBC Media Action and supported by the British High Commission, focused on a range of topics, including economics and financial reporting.
The final workshop was held at the Heritage Park Hotel in Honiara, where a team from the Central Bank of Solomon Islands taught participants about key economic terms and how to report on the government’s annual budget. Michael Kikiolo, Manager Advisor Policy for CBSI, Marco Malusà and Angeline Rohoia, Senior Research Analysts, and Uriel Matanani, CBSI Communications Manager, were all part of the team.
The workshops were part of a pilot project called “Strengthening the Media in the Solomon Islands” and were conducted in response to feedback from local journalists and media outlets. Prior to the training session, BBC Media Action’s Senior Trainer, Naomi Goldsmith, and Media Association of Solomon Islands (MASI) board member, Gina Maka’a, visited seven media outlets in Honiara to tell editors and journalists how they would like to be supported.
One of the most common responses was a request for training on how to understand the government’s annual budget, as journalists and media outlets wanted to report on this with greater knowledge when it is published every year. The people in the Solomon Islands were also eager to understand essential economic terms and their effect on their daily lives.
The workshops were well received by participants, who acknowledged that they had learned a lot and had been able to further sharpen their skills. After officially closing the workshop, His Excellency Thomas Coward – the British High Commissioner and an economist himself – conversed with the participants about the knowledge gained in this and prior workshops.
Overall, the workshops were a valuable opportunity for local journalists to improve their skills and knowledge, and to better serve their communities through accurate and informative reporting. It is hoped that similar initiatives will be implemented in the future to further strengthen the media in the Solomon Islands.
Source: Gov[Dot]UK
