Journalist training

ASI conducted a range of journalism training activities in Tanzania in order to enhance the quality of media coverage of economic liberalisation issues. This proved highly effective, not only in boosting reporting skills but increasing in-depth and informed coverage of economic liberalisation issues. Inter alia, ASI conducted the following training programmes for journalists:

Essential Journalism: For younger journalists or advanced journalism students, this course taught reporters the essentials of print, TV and Radio reporting. The course included what key elements of news should be covered in every story, also focussing on style, ethics, researching, making contacts, coming up with story ideas, news conferences and more. 

Internet for Journalists:  The Internet offers journalists a means to research region-wide and worldwide, particularly on economic and financial stories. Techniques for researching stories, related topics and fact checking were emphasised, with practical training in use of websites, reference sources available online and participant-led searches on the Internet.

Advanced Internet for Journalists: A shorter course to refresh Internet and improve journalist's research skills using search-engines, familiarity with new websites, audio and video on the Net, etc.

Business Journalism: Focussing on issues specific to economic and business journalism, this course included lectures from international experts and prominent local and international businessmen. It showed where they can get up to date financial information, how to get across complex financial stories in print and television using different editorial and visual approaches.

Television Journalism: Designed for 6-8 working television journalists, this course boosted skills in the specific demands of television news reporting. It used a large variety of examples from television broadcasts and reports from other English-speaking countries and cover techniques of shooting, sound and graphics as well as editorial methods.

Radio Journalism: some 8 working radio journalists took this course in radio reporting, audio editing, organising audio archives and the new, cheaper digital technology.  There were practical lessons in the use of actuality material and available audio from the Internet, and examples of radio programming in English and Kiswahili were used.