Garowe, Puntland, Somalia: 19-10-2015: Recognizing that the media’s role in creating greater awareness in environmental issues is of paramount importance with the ultimate aim of ensuring that more persons are knowledgeable on environmental issues was one of the many passionate appeals made to the journalists and media practitioners around the Puntland region attending the media environmental awareness workshop staged by (SIDRA) Somali Institute for Development Research and Analysis in collaboration with the (MAP) Media Association of Puntland.
The one-day workshop which was held 18th October 2015 at the SIDRA conference hall attracted several media practitioners from in and around the Puntland regions. Puntland media representative body (MAP) educated the participants on modules that were geared towards the role of the media at informing and educating the public on environmental issues and it sought to address a wide range of issues.
MAP’s dexterous presentation at this event noted media’s central role on public awareness and the urgent need for more information to be covered on environment related issues reminding the media practitioners about the pertinent role that they can play. MAP warned the Journalist that it was one of their primary responsibilities that environmental correlated issues are properly researched and/or reviewed thus ensuring that whatever information released is accurate and un-biased.
Guled Salah Director of the Somali Institute for Development Research and Analysis in an interview noted, ‘’the aim of this event is first to educate the media practitioners on the media’s role in raising environmental awareness and feed the society with reliable information that will facilitate in safeguarding the environment’’. In addition to that this workshop was meant to gather feedbacks through participatory debate amongst the participants on approaches to protect and raise awareness on environmental issues’’ added Guled
Mr. Salim MAP’s Head of the training unit, ‘’I urge you as journalists to play a greater role in raising the media role environmental awareness to the utmost and bring them to the attention of the public, authorities and all the stakeholders that matter. “We must adjust to the changing times and still hold to unchanging principles. The ultimate test of a man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.” said Salim
Despite the deepening call for more environmental journalism, not much research has been done in this area of the environment in Somalia. The only study that has been done which concerns the media is its role (the media) in environmental awareness.
There is need for much more sensitization in terms of awareness as well as action to protect and exploit the environment sustainably. More studies in Environmental Journalism must be carried out in Puntland and at large in Somalia to ensure that the media is not neglecting its much needed duties to the public, as the public has got the right to know the issues affecting them in their daily lives so as to enable them make informed decisions.
Well informed people are better placed people in society and they are responsible people both young and old. Despite the challenges, the media association of Puntland remains confident that such workshops will/would be of an added value in the strengthening of reporting, promoting and protecting on environmental issues as far as raising environmental awareness to the public knowledge is concerned.
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Call media law reform campaign
MEDIA RIGHTS CONCERN IN PUNTLAND: The media association of Puntland on a reminder note would like to keep the international media interest groups to support MAP towards the campaign for the review of Puntland restrictive media law. Off recent 18/10/2015 received a NO-COLLABORATION answer from the Puntland Ministry of Information in a follow-up meeting to accelerate the outcomes of the 19-20/Sept/2015 media stakeholder consultative meeting which suggested for an appointment of an expert committee to make a first review.
