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Apart from the practical skills learnt on the course, there is something equally valuable that occurs when you bring journalists from around the world together
Since my return home to Trinidad two weeks ago, I’m pursuing every annual report or financial statement I can get my hands on. I have these new skills that I’m so excited about. It’s been a while since I learnt something practical that I can put to use in my day-to-day newsroom existence.
I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived in London for the training course in Governance reporting. I got there late, halfway into the first day of training. Naturally, I thought I was doomed. There I was, about to embark on a course based on a subject I knew little about AND I was starting behind the pack. I was pleasantly surprised at how patient and supportive the trainers were with me. They brought me up to speed in no time at all. As it turned out, it was just their way. If you didn’t understand something, Keith or Alan worked with you, one on one, until you got it. It was also quite nice that our personal goals were incorporated in the learning objectives.
“I used to focus on corrupt government officials. Now I know that there are other kinds of corruption which have the same or an even worse impact on the people,” is how my friend Amie from Indonesia summed it up. It’s like someone turned on the lights in the dark room called ‘reporting on tax avoidance.’
Apart from the practical skills learnt on the course, there is something equally valuable that occurs when you bring journalists from around the world together. Now it’s not strange to see my phone light up in the middle of the night- it’s Justin from Tanzania, then a response from Rahul in India, and Angela in Mexico chimes in next as we discuss the issue of the day in our chat group. We are resources for one another. The conversation that began in London is ongoing and we’re all grateful to the Foundation for starting it.
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