In a bid to ensure that Community Radio broadcasters are well prepared to participate effectively in the coverage of the forthcoming Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Council elections slated for November 17, 2012, the Initiative for Mobile Training of Community Radio (INFORMOTRAC) Sierra Leone Program, has organized a three-day Elections Training Workshop for 23 programmers from to its twelve partner Community Radio Stations countrywide.
The training program which was conducted at the Rainbow Family Hall, Mile 91 from October 15th to 17th 2012, was facilitated by Isaac Massaquoi, a lecturer at the Mass Communications Department, Fourah Bay College.
Massaquoi, among other things, urged the participants not to allow politicians to set the agenda for the elections, but that they should set the elections agenda for them, focusing on issues relating to the development of their respective communities.
He added that they should be in total control of the programs that are aired on their stations so as to maintain the credibility of the stations.
Other areas covered during the 3-day training program included, Reflections on elections coverage 2007; what worked, and what didn’t work? Developing program ideas and concept, What are the general issues in election 2012, What are the specific issues in their area, and Program formats to address the issues identified.
Participants also went on field exercise to road test the issues in the host community.
Also covered during the elections training was mainstreaming minority issues in elections 2012, physically disabled, visually impaired and marginalized sections of society, women and children, as well as program scripting and production.
Funding for the program was provided by Free Press Unlimited and Radio Netherlands Training Centre (RNTC).
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