HARIPUR: The Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) and Individual Land (IL) organised a two-day training for journalists here on effective use of the Right to Information (RTI) law for investigative journalists, countering fake news, importance of local governments, gender-sensitive reporting and reporting about marginalised groups of the community.

The training was facilitated by renowned investigative journalist Umar Cheema, who shared his expertise on the use of RTI law to uncover corruption and malpractice. The aim of the training was to equip journalists with the tools they needed to conduct impactful and thorough investigations that can bring about positive change in their communities.

Syed Raza Ali from CPDI explained legislative landscape of RTI law and process of filing information requests and how they can be used to access information from government departments, officials, and public institutions. He emphasised the importance of journalists having access to accurate and timely information to help them in their work and ensure that they provide reliable news to their audiences.

The training covered a range of topics, including how to counter fake news, the principles of gender-sensitive reporting, and how to report on marginalised groups in the community. Participants were encouraged to share their own experiences and challenges they faced as journalists in Haripur and also to work together to find solutions to their common problems.

At the end of the training, participants were awarded certificates. They expressed their gratitude to CPDI for organising such a valuable and informative training course. They also expressed their commitment to use the skills and knowledge gained during the training to produce impactful and reliable journalism in public interest.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2023