Reuters Foundation to train business journalists in East Africa

The London-based Foundation will conduct its Financial and Economic Reporting course in Kampala, Uganda, between 26 and 30 September 2011, according to Marta Machado Gooder, a representative of the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

The course is designed to focus on improving coverage of national and international financial issues through detailed briefings, presentations by guest speakers and a possible reporting visit to a selected financial institution.

"In-depth discussions will explore ways of tackling subjects such as resource exploitation, economic governance and capital flight from developing countries," Reuters Foundation states on its website.

The programme will come at time when most East African states including Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzanian, are strengthening the development of their extractives sectors and tightening transfer pricing regulations to increase domestic revenue generation.

Criteria

The new programme seeks to empower about 15 business journalists in Eastern African who are currently working as reporters or regular contributors to print, broadcast or online media organisations.

"They must be able to demonstrate a commitment to a career in journalism in their country, must have at least two years professional experience and have a good level in spoken and written English," read the requirements. The deadline to apply for the programme has been extended to Wednesday 24 August 2011.

Last year, the Foundation, in partnership with the Uganda Securities Exchange and the Bank of Uganda, conducted the Writing Business News course in Kampala. Beneficiaries of the programme have made tremendous improvement in their reporting on economic and financial institutions and enabled them to win national and regional business journalisms accolades.

For instance Bernard Busuulwa, a business journalist at The East African newspaper, who participated in the programme was crowned the Winner of 2011 Financial Journalism Award, under the Print Category, at the Kikonyogo Capital Markets Awards (KCMA). Daily Monitor's Walter Wafula (a contributor to Bizcommunity.com) won the Overall and Print category awards during the 2010 KCMA, while Samuel Ssetumba, a television reporter at Nation TV Uganda, won the television accolade at the awards. The awards recorgnise financial journalists who are have shown a strong commitment in promoting Uganda's capital markets by consistently covering developments in the young industry.

The Reuters Foundation initiatives are part of the many training opportunities that international, regional and local organisations are undertaking to boost business journalism in East Africa.

Other institutions that have empowered business journalists in reporting various issues this year, include; Panos Eastern Africa, the African Centre for Media Excellence, Trade Mark East Africa and the East African Community Secretariat.