Press Release: Wednesday: July 22, 2020: As part of efforts to ensure effective and professional  reportage on issues relating to the ongoing food distribution, a one- day refresher workshop

was, last week conducted  for journalists who have been covering  the ongoing  COVID-19 Household Food Support Program(COHFSP)  across Liberia.

The workshop was held  by the National  Steering Cmmittee on the Stimulus Package, at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs  and Tourism MICAT),in Monrovia,through its Sub-committee on Communication.

Speaking at the opening of the refresher workshop, the Assistant Minister for Technical Services at the Information Ministry,Mr. Daniel N. Thomas, said the idea to conduct the one-day training for the  media was intended for the participants to have a better and clearer understanding of the ongoing food distribution.

Mr. Thomas noted further that the exsercise was not in any way meant to take away from what media practitioners  already  know about the ongoing food distribution, but to simply help sharpen their skills  so that they will be able to  professionally and effectively  handle  relevant isssues arising from the ongoing food distribution in Liberia.

Assistant Minister Thomas, said the ongoing food distribution has given rise to a number of crucial matters that require proper , effective and professional public education through the media.

 The ongoing food distribution has witnessed the frequent  application of expressions such as   vulnerability, moderately vulnerable and extremely vulnerable, among others.

According to organizers of the one-day training workshop for the media,  unless a platform was provided for members of the media community, especially those covering the ongoing food distribution to take a professional look at such expressions (vulnerable, not vulnerable, moderately vulnerable and extremely vulnerable), as well as the criteria used in arriving at such categories of  people relative to the food distribution,  professional reportage by the media could be undermined.

During the workshop,  various topics of relevance to the ongoing food distribution were given an overview, including  update on the  the COVID-19 Household Food Support Program(COHFSP), a presentation on selection/targeting criteria,  the role of journalists  in achieving the COHFSP objectives, among others.

The exercise  drew presentations from  Aaron Sieh, Amos Ballayan and Emmanuel Anderson  of the World Food Programme (WFP).

The one -day refresher workshop  was graced by more than 25   journalists from  print and  electronic media institutions from around Monrovia.

Meanwhile, the participants have assusred the public, mainly organizers of the workshop of using the acquired knowledge in handling issues relating to the ongoing COVID-19 Household Food Support Program(COHFSO)from a professional perspective.

Jacob N.B. Parley

Communications Director

Commerce Ministry/ Member/ National Steering Committee’s Sub-committee on Communication

Contacts:  0777604576/0886560455