LOCAL journalists, freelancers, media professionals, and broadcasters in Western Province (WP) are undergoing a four-day intensive refresher workshop in Gizo this week.
The training was held at the Gizo Telekom Conference room.
The training, titled Radio Happy Lagoon Intensive Refresher Workshop, was supported and funded by BBC Media Action.
It was facilitated by the Head of Department of the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) and a trainer from In-depth Solomons.
Participants included staff of Gizo’s Radio Happy Lagoon FM 96.3, journalists from the Solomon Star and Island Sun, freelancers, and other key media stakeholders in the province.
BBC Media Action Coordinator for Solomon Islands Sina Adrian, told the Solomon Star in an interview that the workshop was mainly designed to strengthen Gizo’s Radio Happy Lagoon and help it continue broadcasting news, programs, and special features.
“It will also strengthen the station’s sales capacity while updating staff to revive localized programming through community-driven content,” said Adrian.
He added that the program also aimed at enhancing partnerships with government, NGOs, and other stakeholders, while promoting youth dialogue and securing sponsorship for the station.
“Most importantly, this training empowers staff with modern broadcasting skills and technical expertise,” Adrian said.
SIBC Newsroom Chief Editor and facilitator, Fredrick Kusu, said the four-day training covered news production, content development, sales and marketing, and journalism ethics.
He stressed the importance of adhering to professional codes of ethics, noting that broadcasters and journalists must understand the responsibility they carry when informing the public.
“This workshop is timely. Media plays a vital role in serving communities and society, and we must ensure we deliver responsibly,” Kusu said.
The refresher training will concluded this Friday with renewed commitment from participants to strengthen the role of media in Western Province.
By ULUTAH GINA
Solomon Star, Gizo
