Agri National

NADMO To Award Best Bird Flu Journalist

By Austin Ofori Addo:

Effective communication is key to solving most problems. Therefore the success of any plan to effectively control and prevent the spread of the avian influenza (bird flu) rests on clear and consistent communication about the disease and its risks to all stakeholders and to the general public who might not be directly involved in the poultry value chain, but play a critical and important role with members of the chain.

In this regard and to underscore the need for effective communication by media personnel in the radio, online and inky fraternity, the National Disaster Management Organization, NADMO in collaboration with the Veterinary Services of Ghana, the Ghana Health Service, UNICEF with funds from the USAID, is instituting an award scheme to award deserving journalists whose work in bird flu reportage is exemplary.

This was made known during a workshop organized by NADMO for media practitioners in the country, to deepen the engagement of the media in reporting accurately about bird flu and also promoting the poultry industry held at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel in Accra.

Elaborating on what is going to go into the award scheme, Mr. Lawson Tevi who is Head of Pests and Insect Infestation at the National Disaster Management Organization explained to Rite news that the motivation behind the award scheme is to recognize the work and award deserving journalists who will write the best articles to educate the general public about the bird flu.

According to him, the media has a role to play in the effective control of the bird flu in the country in order to help kick it out. He noted that NADMO and other stakeholders were expecting the media to come out to educate the general public to know everything about the disease, its prevention, control and biosecurity which are all the necessary and required steps needed to do away with the bird flu in the country.

In this vain, NADMO will encourage all journalists to present articles which talk more about the bird flu. This would be followed by a review by a special committee which would select the best from among the lot and a special award presented to the best story on the avian influenza.

‘The journalists who attended the program agreed that the award should be on an annual basis,’ Mr. Levi asserted, adding that ‘the best journalist in this regard could be sponsored to do further studies at the Ghana Institute of Journalist.’

Source: ritefmonline.org

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