United States Embassy Sponsors Election-Reporting Training

April 11, 2005
No. 14/05

Addis Ababa (U.S. Embassy) – As part of its continuing efforts to provide professional-development opportunities for journalists in both the private and state-owned media, the U.S. Embassy has completed two rounds of training in the practical techniques of reporting on elections.  Commenting on the Embassy’s training activities, Ambassador Aurelia E. Brazeal noted the importance of high-quality election coverage, saying “The goal of providing accurate, objective, and comprehensive reporting is crucial in ensuring that media consumers who are voters have the information they need.  I am glad that the Embassy is able to offer these opportunities to the community of working journalists here, as well as to students who are Ethiopia’s future journalists.”

From April 4 to 7, Timothy Spence, a U.S.-based journalist and recipient of the prestigious Knight Journalism Fellowship, presented a seminar, “Election Coverage:  Fair Trade in Democracy,” which in addition to a core group of journalists was attended by graduate students from Addis Ababa University’s School of Journalism and Communications.  The program featured practical, hands-on exercises designed to hone participants’ reporting skills, including activities such as a field exercise in which reporters met with ordinary potential voters and heard their thoughts on the coming elections.  “In twenty years of reporting and training, I have never worked with as open and eager a group of journalists,” said Mr. Spence of his experience with Ethiopian reporters.  “Given the front-line role journalism plays in developing democracies like Ethiopia, it’s exciting to see such dedication.”

In mid-March, Prof. Abiyi Ford, Acting Dean of the School of Journalism and Communications, led a three-day workshop for journalists working in the Amharic-language press.  Prof. Ford is in Ethiopia under the Fulbright Senior Scholar program, and his fluent Amharic allowed him to interact directly with participants.  His program was designed to help journalists refine their critical thinking skills, more thoroughly consider issues of point-of-view in their reporting, and better understand their obligations as professionals.  Closing the program, Prof. Ford encouraged participants, in their role as journalists, to “act as headlights of a car, driving at night, showing the way forward.”