Uganda Radio News Workshop
September 6‹17, 2004

The Uganda Radio News Workshop was one of two concurrent workshops sponsored by the International Broadcasting Bureau/Voice of America in cooperation with the United States Embassy in Uganda. The second workshop focused on radio management and sales strategies and techniques.

International Communications Trainer and Consultant
Stephen C. Coon was the trainer for the Radio News Workshop. Dr. Sam Swan, professor of journalism
at the University of Tennessee‹Knoxville , project coordinator,
led the management sales workshop along with Dr. Greg Pitts of Bradley
University.
The
goal of the radio news workshop was to work with Uganda broadcast journalists
to help identify area where we could help enhance their professional
skills. This was a cooperative
effort in which the participants and I developed mutually acceptable themes of
interest and relevance to contemporary Uganda.
There
were 14 broadcast journalists in the news workshops: Tusime Faisal, senior news
reporter Bunyoro Broadcasting Services; Jack Otim, programs manager Radio Apac;
Jackee Baziga Radio One FM; Wambi Michael, head of news Voice of Teso; Eunice Kabahuma Voice of Toro;
Olivia Cerendu and Linda Kibombo
Sanyu FM; Aisha Sematiko, editor and Charles Bukuwa, journalist Dembe FM; the Reverend Nelson Otto, editor Kiira
FM; Daniel Mngabi Radio West; Luke Seku Haumba, managing editor Mbale FM;
Christopher Ocowun, editor Radio Four; and Alex Akankwasa, reporter and
producer Voice of Kigezi.
Also
on hand for a number of sessions was Paula Caffey, regional marketing director
for Voice of America.
All the radio news journalists discussed several journalism topics during week one including identifying and confirming news sources, interviewing and reporting techniques, investigative reporting strategies, effective use of audio, as well as observing professional journalism standards and ethics.
In
week two the participants formed two teams to prepare separate radio newscasts, which would demonstrate the skills
and concepts we had emphasized in the first week.
The
Uganda radio journalists are to be congratulated for their dedication to the
tasks developed during the workshop and the commitment they have demonstrated
to improving the standards of
broadcast journalism.