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The
World Bank Institute's Journalism Program aims to
build the capacity of the media in promoting accountability.
Background
More
than ever, Africans have come out with determination
to unflinchingly confront the problem of underdevelopment.
This determination, as evident in the New Partnership
for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), is unprecedented.
Endorsed in 2001, NEPAD is a pledge by African leaders
based on a common vision, and a firm shared conviction
that they have a pressing duty to eradicate poverty
and to place their countries, both individually and
collectively, on a path of sustainable growth and
development, and to participate actively in the world
economy and body politic.
With
340 million or half the population of Africa living
on $1 a day, African initiatives such as NEPAD, are
uniquely positive and urgent. Indeed as Africans assume
greater responsibility for development, there is a
greater emphasis than ever on poverty, but also a
climate of participation and debate. The role of journalists
is therefore critical at this stage in fostering this
climate, by raising public interest, setting the agenda
for debate on issues such as resource mobilization
and allocation, service delivery, accountability,
and spreading the conviction that development is a
process of empowerment and self reliance.
To
achieve this, journalists need to know, understand
and analyze economics and development issues, as well
as broaden their sources of information by carefully
building partnerships with politicians, professionals
(both in the public and private sectors), and ordinary
men and women on the streets and in rural areas. As
checks on the powers that be, African journalists
can engender imaginative leadership genuinely committed
to a sustained effort of poverty eradication. In so
doing, Africans will determine their own destiny and
let the rest of the world to simply complement their
efforts.
Objectives
The
learning objectives of this course are to enable participants
to:
1. Grasp current thinking on Africa's economic challenges
and opportunities.
2. Apply concepts drawn from international experience
to a local context.
3. Write stories, prepare broadcasts on economic development
topics that engage a broad audience of ordinary citizens.
At
the end of the course, the participants should be
able to:
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Critically
analyze the deeper economic development issues
surrounding ordinary events.
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Use
practical guides in working with statistics.
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Balance
ideas and factual evidence.
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Understand
the difference between analysis and opinion.
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Humanize
rather than abstract.
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Make
the economic story, lively, interesting and accessible
to ordinary citizens.
The
Approach
A
highly practical and engaging learning program, the
course will consist of several sessions and closely
supervised assignments involving work in the field.
From its headquarters in Washington DC, WBI will hold
six two-hour videoconferences, one on each of six
subject areas. Each session will feature one or more
content experts and a discussant, all with distinguished
careers in a wide array of disciplines, who will speak
insightfully and discuss a variety of economics and
development issues. Between each of these sessions,
local facilitators will convene a local session to
explore the ways concepts presented in the previous
videoconference play out in the particular context
of the political economy at home. Country groups,
working with their local facilitators, may want to
call in a local expert or perhaps arrange a special
session with someone in Washington.
All
participants will undertake at least one reporting
project, to be seen through to publication or broadcast,
focusing on one of the six subject areas. Participants
will work with local facilitators on the reporting
and information-gathering challenges, and each will
be assigned a seasoned on-line editor to work with
on sharpening stories and making them both accessible
and interesting to a general audience. In addition
to local publication and broadcast, participants'
finished articles will be displayed in an on-line
compendium, "Africans Report Africa" on
the WBI website.
In
addition to learning from presentations, experiences
and expertise of distinguished professionals including
renowned journalists who will feature as guest speakers
and discussants, participants will learn from information
provided by the course facilitators outside of the
six sessions.
Target
Audience
African
journalists with at least three years' practical experience,
responsible for covering economics, development related
subjects and business.
The
EBJ Team
The
EBJ course is managed out of the World Bank Institute.
EBJ activities are implemented in cooperation with
the Africa Region.
The EBJ Team is as follows:
Tim
Carrington, Program co-Manager
Eric Chinje, Program co-Manager
Martin Lutalo, Course coordinator
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Please send all your questions and comments about
the EBJ course to mlutalo@worldbank.org.
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