By Kemo Cham
The US embassy in Freetown last week
unveiled a shortlist of 18 journalists as part of a new media fellowship
programme announced last month.
The shortlisted journalists were
each given the equivalent of US$400 during a brief orientation ceremony at the
embassy’s complex at Hill Station on Thursday. The journalists were drawn from
both print and the electronic media.
Four members of the editorial team
of Politico are among those whose pitches were selected by a special panel of
judges appointed by the embassy. Other shortlisted candidates come from Awoko
newspaper, the Standard Times, Star Radio, CTN, Sky Radio, Blade newspaper,
among others.
In all 30 journalists sent in story
pitches in response to the announcement by the embassy last month, according to
embassy officials. The journalists are expected to produce newspaper articles
and radio programmes on three categories of story ideas – Free Press; Climate
Change; and Girls’ Empowerment.
“These are the things that we think
are of importance to Sierra Leone,” said Wotay Kamara, Communications Assistant
at the Public Affairs Section of the embassy, which is organizing the
competition.
She said at a brief session at the
conference hall of the embassy after the journalists had received their
fellowship monies that the initiative was meant to encourage journalists to
focus on these kinds of stories.
The Sierra Leone media is viewed by
many as one of the most pluralistic in the sub region, due to the proliferation
of media outlets. But hardly anyone outside the media industry thinks it is
serving its watchdog role. The media mostly focus on politics, the trivial
aspects of it, rather than shining the light on equally important issues.
“We know these are important to the
people, but they are of keen interest to the embassy,” said Hollyn Green,
Public Affairs Officer at the US embassy.
The shortlisted journalists have one
month [until July 24] to submit their stories which will then be graded. The
embassy has placed prices for the best three stories.
First Prize winner will receive
US$1, 000, second prize winner, US$600, and third place winner US$400.
(C) Politico 28/06/16
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