UPE & UNICEF Media Orientation Workshop for Journalists - An Analysis of Feedback

Communication is part and parcel of development. Information is a pre-condition for development. Media should help articulate the grievances and local problems of the marginalized classes. The broad aim of media should be to give greater participatory role to the neglected and marginalized people. Unfortunately, this hasn’t happened. In this direction it becomes imperative for the journalists to understand the importance of public health and schemes launched by the government so as to improve the standard of living. Media being one the most important tools of disseminating information, it is vital that the public is informed through media about Public Health Schemes. However this agenda cannot be achieved unless the journalists themselves are exposed and informed about Public Health Schemes and made to understand the importance and gravity of covering such issues. In this context, a workshop was organised to orient Journalists of Bijapur, Bagalkot and Belgaum districts to enhance their level of participation in media coverage of social issues like maternal and child health. Media and journalist more so, whose, sole consideration of news value depends on commercial factors should be sensitized towards social agenda. It is in this direction that workshop like this will come as savoir.