Sudan: Support for journalists in the global fight against Covid-19
A unique training course tailored specifically for Sudanese journalists has been devised to help them navigate the challenges of reporting the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Ministry of Information and Culture in Sudan has launched the free online media training course with funding from UK Aid.
The course in Arabic is designed to be easy to access in small sections on a mobile phone and is being delivered by the Thomson Foundation in partnership with the British Council Sudan.
The objective is to support media across the country to understand and communicate the impact of the coronavirus accurately and ethically.
“Our cooperation with Thomson Foundation takes a practical approach through the launch of an online training course on how journalists can deal with the Covid-19 pandemic professionally,” says His Excellency Mr. Faisal Mohamed Salih, Minister of Information and Culture. “This represents true interaction with the needs of media and journalism in Sudan currently to produce media work and journalism that is professional and credible.”
False information
Because of difficulties in connectivity in some parts of Sudan, access to WiFi or a mobile network is required only at the beginning and end of the course. It is also available through WhatsApp.
The journalists’ role as the country deals with the major health crisis, along with the rest of the world, is critical in raising awareness and combatting disinformation and misinformation.
“The UK has been leading the COVID-19 response in some of the most challenging circumstances the world has ever seen,” says Dr. Louise Walker, Country Director for the UK Department of International Development. “UK Aid’s work with the Ministry of Information and Culture to deliver a media training to Sudanese journalists means that citizens will have the most reliable, objective information available.”
Course content
The course consists of five chapters covering the following areas:
- About COVID-19, who is at risk; how you can protect yourself and others
- New ideas for working from home, office or studio
- What sort of content to produce to help your audience to understand what’s happening
- Ethics and upholding standards particularly around vulnerable people
- Reporting accurately and countering misinformation
Medical expertise
The course also provides valuable resources with contributions from Sudanese doctors dealing with COVID-19 patients in the UK and Sudan.
“This course, delivered by the Thomson Foundation, will train Sudanese journalists across the country to better inform citizens about the Covid 19 response,” says Robin Davies, Country Director British Council. “British Council Sudan and the Thomson Foundation have worked together since 2012 to support Sudanese journalists and media personnel to enhance their skills and to establish relationships across the media sector leading to improved communications and better mutual understanding across society.”
Accessing the course
The course can be accessed through the following link, which is also published on the Sudan Ministry of Information and Culture’s platforms and shared through WhatsApp.
For updates on the media training please follow: @MOCI_SD, @ukinsudan, and @thomfound on Facebook and Twitter, @BritishCouncilSudan on Facebook and british_council_sd on Instagram.
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