Conduct more humanitarian trainings in order to encourage the Media to embrace humanitarian reporting, ZRCS told

By Staff Reporter, Lusaka 

The Zambia Red Cross Society has been urged to conduct more humanitarian trainings and simulations that benefit journalists in the country and to initiate a media award in the Humanitarian field so that journalists and media houses are encouraged to cover and report on humanitarian issues in order to encourage the Media to embrace humanitarian reporting and coverage the Zambia Red Cross.

And today’s Media Breakfast held in Lusaka, Director of Programmes for Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation, Ms. Rose Chumpuka mentioned that the Zambia Red Cross and the Media have in the recent past. 

“The meeting is contributing to building of good relationship based on trust, communication and understanding between the Zambia Red Cross Society and the media. 

The Zambia Red Cross and the Media have in the recent past has developed a symbiotic relationship that eases each other’s work in the humanitarian field”, said Ms. Chumpuka. 

Ms. Chumpuka called upon the media in Zambia to practice standard coverage of humanitarian situations which reflects the immediacy of modern media and focuses on the crisis at hand. 

She requested the National Society to support the media in Zambia to develop and sharpen solid professional reporting techniques that help cover humanitarian response scenarios, and to enhance their basic education in the understanding of the humanitarian sector, its architecture, mandates and modus operandi. 

The “Humanitarian diplomacy” and “Beneficiary Communication” practices of the Red Cross have been hailed as communication models that need to be shared with the Zambian media. 

In the similar manner, the media has been implored to reserve time and space in their various media platforms for reporting humanitarian issues such as those promoted by the Zambia Red Cross. 

At the same function, the National Society President, Ambassador Godfrey Simasiku thanked the media for increased coverage of the activities of the National Society and pledged to work with the media at all times. 

During the meeting the Zambia Red Cross Society shared with the media various activities it implemented in 2016. 

Over 40 Media personnel and Journalists from about 30 media houses attended the Media Breakfast which provided for learning and understanding between the Zambia Red Cross Society and the Media.