MCK to train sports, business journalists
The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has announced plan to train sports and business journalists.
This comes after the Council selection panel found majority of grant applications in the business and sports reporting categories were wanting in professionalism, creativity and originality.
The grants are part of the Council’s interventions on geared towards improving media standards and professional growth through training on specialised short courses on public interest issues.
"Following the recommendations from the judging panel and internal consultation, the Council has rolled out a series of training sessions for journalists covering business and sports across the country," the Council said in a statement.
The trainings will be conducted under the Council’s Africa Media Academy, which focuses on development of training standards, building capacity of journalists, and ensuring professional journalism practice, in line with the Council’s mandate to promote and enhance ethical and professional standards amongst journalists and media enterprises.
The selection panel noted that the submissions lacked the sparkle that draws audiences or triggers public debates on the business environment in the country, policies, and Kenya as an investment destination. As such, the panel pointed out that most story submissions were disquietingly similar, shallow, and unquestioning. Entrants missed out on the investigative aspect of journalistic practice.
Story submissions for sports reporting category concentrated on issues previously covered in the hard news segments of media and failed the sporting opportunities and progress the country has made. The story ideas missed proposals of analytical look at team and sportsmen performances.
Sports stories proposed were revolving around financial scandals which have already been covered previously in the hard news segments of media. Applicants for sports reporting grants also failed to present investigative story topics in their proposals.
The Council will, after the trainings, announce the call for applications for business and sports reporting grants that will be open to MCK-accredited journalists and media practitioners.
Successful applicants will receive grants to support travel, communication, research, and meals during data collection and writing of stories.
Each grantee will work with the support of a mentor and undergo multiple trainings and skills upgrading sessions.
