Final feedback on what we are taking home

The training ended well last Friday with final assignments produced and links posted to the original stories.

At the end of the training, the participants filled in an assessment questionnaire and also published their final feedback from the training days.

Most participants said that the aims of the training were reached very well and they were able to learn the things that they expected at the beginning of the training. Many of the participants were however of the opinion that three days was too short time for the training. One participant suggested that the training should last at least one week.

Jabir Idrissa, editor of Mwanahalisi, explained in his last posting the procedure of the final research assignments. He mentions the links made from the final stories to the information sources. ”This was an essential part of the training, since it is important that we journalists lead the readers to the sources from where we searched for the information”, he writes.

Erick Mchome, features writer at The Citizen, says that many journalists in Tanzania fail to use the internet as one of the greatest source of information. ”Many use just 30 percent of the internet without knowing that it can offer different useful information”, he writes and adds that he’s going to use the skills he has learnt during the training to “tighten my career and become one of the successful young English-language journalists in the country”.

Agnes Shija, journalism lecturer at Tumaini University Dar es Salaam College, describes the last day of the training as “real school”. “The assignment kept me busy inferring to all what we have learnt from the first day”, she writes. “Researching through the net, links and the journalistic exercises have inspired me more in the usage of the internet. The skills will enhance my teaching and approaches in teaching journalism students to raise their enthusiasm in the use of internet”, she concludes.

Flora Rugashoborola, news editor of Star TV, also tells about the final closing speech delivered at the end of the training by MISA Tanzania chairperson Mohammed Tibanyendera. “The speech was very touching for me as he argued that journalists, lawyers and other activists should work together to fight for media freedom in our country.” She also thanks MISA Tanzania for the good job that they have done for Tanzanian journalists on internet training. “Let us join hands to improve the journalism profession in our country especially in the era of digital!”

Also Ali Othman, Zanzibar correspondent of Changamoto and coordinator of Zanzibar Press Club, believes in the future of internet journalism. “It’s my hope now that it’s time for online journalism to grow up in Tanzania and beyond our boundaries”, he writes.

From my side, I also want to thank all participants for very active and enthusiastic participation during the whole training. Thanks to Cecilia Mng’ong’o from MISA Tanzania who facilitated everything during the training days. Many thanks also to Andrew Marawiti and others at the MISA Tanzania secretariat for very efficient pre-training arrangements. Thanks to TGDLC too for the stylish venue and effective IT support. Thanks also to the catering staff for the morning teas and rice and stews which kept us going throughout the training days.