Election workshop for journalists and women candidates [1]
Monday, October 30, 2017 - 19:40. Updated on Monday, October 30, 2017 - 19:40.
An election reporting workshop for journalists, alongside media presentation training for women candidates in Tonga's 2017 general election, is being held from October 30 to November 3, in Nuku'alofa.
Facilitator, Jemima Garrett, an Australian broadcaster who has spent more than 30-years reporting on the Pacific, said that journalists have lots of roles during an election. They need to be fair and impartial, they need to scrutinize the way the candidates run their campaigns and make sure they stick to rules. Journalists also need to research candidates and talk about what they are going to do when they get in to parliament, she said.
“Elections are about voters and what voters want.”
She said some journalists might be wondering why an election workshop focuses on women.
"When I first was a young journalist, more than 30-years-ago, one of the things I did was organize a series of programs, putting the voice of Pacific women on ABC radio for the very first time nationally. I hired a journalist with a Tongan background in fact, a very eminent journalist now in Australia, Jill Emberson, who came to the Pacific and did interviews. One of the stories that we highlighted was domestic violence and the need for women’s representation, for women to be in positions of power, to be in parliament to advocate the changes of that," she said.
Public broadcast
Australian High Commissioner HE Mr Andrew Ford said they are excited with this important training, addressing two areas of high priority for Australia: supporting women in political leadership, and fair and independent election reporting for the media.
"Through this support to Tongan women candidates and the media, it’s hoped that Tongan communities will have increased access to information about key policy issues that affect women."
He said this training uses the networks and experience of the ABC and their history of working in the Pacific.
As a public broadcaster, the ABC has a responsibility to provide fair, balanced and factual election coverage to inform Australian communities of their rights and responsibilities as voters; and to provide information about political parties, policies and platforms, he said.
"The Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS) is proud to bring these values to support the Tongan media in the important role it plays in the national election."
Funded by Australian Aid through PACMAS, the workshop at Davina House is attended by local journalists, as well as some of the women candidates and representatives from civil society,