DEADLINE EXTENDED: Public accountability reporting course for journalists in Kenya and Tanzania 

15 slots available

New Deadline: 17 August 2022, 12:00pm

African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME), with support from the National Endowment for Democracy, invites journalists in Kenya and Tanzania to apply for a virtual training workshop on Reporting Public Accountability.

The training consists of two weeks of in-person online training from 15 to 26 August 2022.  It offers knowledge and skills modules within a context of holistic and comprehensive support to journalists. This support is through mentoring, coaching, access to sources, use of data, innovative use of digital and online databases, as well as interaction with peers, experts, policymakers, and oversight actors. The courses are interactive, practical, and participant-driven.

About the course

Journalists, by virtue of their work as society’s watchdogs, are at the centre of probing the public sector and interpreting for citizens what is happening, what is being done in their name and what is being done on their behalf. When journalists do their work well, the public can make informed demands on those with responsibility to account for their actions.

Often, however, the media do not report comprehensively or meaningfully on public affairs because they lack resources and knowledge on the functioning of the public sector. Therefore, this training arms participants with knowledge on the workings of the public sector and the mechanisms that are supposed to ensure effective delivery of public services and goods for national development. It further equips participants with the journalistic skills and techniques to more competently cover public sector accountability.

A case for training

It is with this in mind that ACME has developed a ten-day course on Reporting Accountability. The course is part of our Enhancing Media Capacity for Inclusive Development programme, which is supported by the National Endowment for Democracy.

The course aims to increase attention to public accountability generally in the national discourse on development through consistent media coverage.

By the end of the workshop, participants will understand and authoritatively report on:

• budgeting and accountability processes;
• the institutional framework, policies and laws that govern the accountability sector in Kenya and Tanzania;
• how money is appropriated, allocated, disbursed and used by the public sector;
• Kenya and Tanzania’s audit and accountability institutions and processes; and
• innovations to improve public sector accountability.

How to apply

This course is open to all journalists in Kenya and Tanzania. Women and journalists are particularly encouraged to apply.

Apply by filling out this online application form. Your application must also include at least three story samples and a signed letter from your editorial supervisor stating that they will give you time off to attend both parts of the course in full. If you are a freelance reporter and unable to provide a letter of support, please state that this is so.

Send your application by 11 August, 2022.

Incomplete applications will be disregarded.

###

Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay