From February 25-March 1, U.S. Embassy Cotonou held a training on election coverage at INFOSEC in Cotonou. About thirty participants from various types of media attended the training given by investigative journalist Daniel Glick.
Glick exchanged with participants on various topics including the difference between public relations and journalism, the search for reliable sources, the use of social media and the problematic of fake news, as well as ethics in election coverage.
Participants held mock press conferences and debates, which allowed them to practice and acquire new skills.
During the training, Daniel Glick insisted on the importance for journalists to preserve their credibility by avoiding spreading fake news or misquoting their sources. He also outlined the importance for media professionals to remain neutral and avoid bias in their reporting.
U.S. Embassy’s Public Affairs Officer (PAO), Kanishka Gangopadhyay, addressed the audience of participants on the training’s opening day, encouraging them to demonstrate professionalism in their work. « If you wish to be up-and-coming journalists, you have to publish the truth. Our goal at the embassy is to contribute to that accomplishment by training journalists to the best practices, the PAO said.
Daniel Glick has over 25 years of experience in journalism and worked with media outlets such as Newsweek and National Geographic.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy Cotonou - Benin.
