CLOSED – Training call – Covering elections

Call Issued on 31 August 2020

Training date and location: 

• 14-16 September 2020 — Arua
• 14-16 September 2020 — Kampala
• 17-19 September 2020 — Gulu
• 21-23 September 2020 — Mbale
• 28-30 September 2020 — Mbarara
• 28-30 September 2020 – Masaka

Slots available:

• 20 journalists at each location/venue, Covid-19 SOPs permitting. Those who live outside the host town will stay in a hotel; those within the host town will commute from their homes.

Application deadlines:

• Arua and Kampala (9 September 2020)
• Gulu (10 September 2020)
• Mbale (11 September 2020)
• Mbarara and Masaka (20 September 2020)

The African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME), with support of the Democratic Governance Facility, invites applications from Ugandan journalists for a series of training courses on Covering Elections.

About the course

The 2021 election season is here. As is to be expected, it is a time of increased excitement and tension amongst contending candidates and their supporters. It therefore falls on the media to offer coverage that illuminates the issues on the campaign trail for the average voter to make an informed choice at the ballot box. It should also be the type of coverage that helps cool temperatures between contending camps. This time it is all the more challenging. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, most election campaigning will be conducted via the media and varied digital platforms. The stakes could not be higher for the media to acquit itself well during this mediated campaign season.

It is with this in mind that ACME has designed a series of training sessions to be conducted in six different locations around Uganda. The training in Arua targets journalists from all of West Nile. The training in Gulu targets journalists from much of northern Uganda. The one in Mbale targets journalists from eastern Uganda. Journalists from greater Masaka will attend the training in Masaka City, and those from the larger western Uganda will come to Mbarara. Every applicant will clearly indicate the town he or she is based in and the location of the training to attend. Remember the training will be residential only for out-of town journalists.

The training sessions have been carefully developed based on a recently completed needs assessment of the newsrooms and on the revamped guidelines for media coverage of elections. A highly enriched package awaits the curious and ambitious political journalist. So, apply now.

How to apply

This course is open to all journalists in Uganda. Women journalists are especially encouraged to apply.

Send an email to training@acme-ug.org that contains:

1. A letter of introduction and application to the course. The letter must include your bio data, compelling reasons on why you are interested in the course, and specifics of how you intend to use the knowledge gained in your reporting.
2. Two samples of your best stories on elections/politics.
3. A letter of support from your editorial supervisor stating that he or she will give you time off to attend the training in full. If you are a freelance reporter and unable to provide a letter of support, please state that this is so.

Incomplete applications will be disregarded.

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