BENIN OUTREACH PROGRAM: WORKSHOP ON ETHICS AND

UNCLAS COTONOU 000067

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/PD, AF/W, PD/IIP, ECA/A/L/W
PARIS FOR ARS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OEXC SCUL KPAO BN
SUBJECT: BENIN OUTREACH PROGRAM: WORKSHOP ON ETHICS AND
TRANSPARENCY IN JOURNALISM


1. SUMMARY: On January 29, PAS Cotonou hosted a well-attended
training workshop for twenty Beninese reporters sharpen their
professional skills by exchanging ideas and sharing experiences with
senior counterparts in the profession. END SUMMARY.


2. DATE OF ACTIVITY: January 29, 2009; second quarter, FY 10.


3. PROGRAM JUSTIFICATION/OBJECTIVES: Post held this event to meet
the MSP goal of improving Press freedom in Benin by organizing
training seminars for local reporters. Most Beninese journalists
are young university graduates without formal journalism training.
Based on requests made by directors and owners of media outlets,
this event promoted journalism as a tool to enhance freedom of
speech and to strengthen democracy.


4. DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY: This seminar was first in a series of
training programs by the Public Affairs Section to promote the
professional development of local journalists.


5. Ambassador Knight launched the training session led by Georges
Amlon, a senior Beninese journalist, assisted by Patrice Louis, a
senior French journalist based in Cotonou. In her opening remarks,
PAO Watson noted that democracy is strengthened through a free and
professional media, and the U.S. Mission will do all it can to
support media development in Benin. Ambassador Knight emphasized
the role played by the Public Affairs Section in achieving this
goal. Ambassador Knight emphasized the role of journalists for the
promotion of development and strengthening of democracy, and is
particularly important during leading up to the February 2011
Presidential and legislative elections in Benin.


6. MPP UMBRELLA THEMES AND AUDIENCE REACHED:

-- Building Democratic Institutions
-- Supporting a Responsible and Independent Media

The workshop attracted 20 journalists from 20 print and broadcast
media outlets. The workshop received good coverage, including
several newspaper articles and TV and radio news segments on public
station ORTB TV, private Golfe TV and Golfe FM radio, with
translation in major Beninese local languages. Broadcast coverage
reached an estimated 2.5 million viewers/listeners.


7. RESULT/IMPACT: Excellent. The participants were particularly
satisfied with the content of the program and the quality of the
presentation. and thanked the U.S. Embassy for taking this
initiative which they hope will be repeated.


8. NON-USG SOURCES OF IN-COUNTRY FUNDING/IN KIND SUPPORT: None.


9. QUALITY OF USG SUPPORT: Excellent. The participation of
Ambassador Knight enhanced the success of this event. Kudos to PAS
for recruiting such highly experienced journalists to run this
workshop. At the end of the seminar, each participant received
copies of Nouveaux Horizons books 'Pratique du Journalisme' and 'Une
Presse Libre'.

Knight