Journalists gain skills in safety while on duty

The Rwanda Journalist Association (ARJ) in collaboration with Article 19 East Africa trained 40 Rwandan journalists in areas of safety and protection strategies as well as ethics to promote professionalism. The training ended on Saturday in Kigali.Speaking after the training Gloriose Isugi, a reporter with Global Press Institute said that she is now knowledgeable on what strategies she can use to protect herself while covering a story. “I got to know the role of the Rwanda Journalists Association and that of the Rwanda Media Commission in promoting my profession,” Isugi explained. Article 15 of the Rwandan Media Law N°02/2013 empowers the media self regulatory body which is currently the Rwanda Media Commission, to deal with the violation of journalists’ rights. Some of the most common violations that journalists face include harassment and intimidation in their day to day work. Leonie Ruranganwa, a reporter with Radio One also said that the training was timely. “This year, there have been many media reforms that were made and most of us journalists were not fully informed about how they will protect us,” she said adding that the training was an opportune moment to get to know them. According to Patrick Mutahi, Senior Programme Officer Article 19 and the facilitator of the training, there are some mistakes that journalists often make that compromise their security.“We believe that by imparting journalists with the knowledge of how to protect themselves prior to any assignments, they will be prepared to professionally undertake their duties safely,” Mutahi said.

National

Journalists gain skills in safety while on duty