Nouakchott hosts a training session on media in times of health crises

Nouakchott, 5 August 2020 (AMI)- The Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture, Handicraft and Relations with Parliament, Dr. Ahmedou Khteira, supervised, on 5 August in Nouakchott, the launch of a training session on media in times of health crises.
The three-day session, organized by the Mauritanian News Agency, in cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) representation in Mauritania, aims to train 30 journalists from the Mauritanian News Agency on media coverage in times of crises.
Speaking on the occasion, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture, Handicraft and Relations with Parliament stressed that media is the cornerstone of the program of the President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazwani, who has affirmed his keenness to improve the performance of the media, which was recently illustrated by the establishment of a committee to reform the field.
This committee is expected to come up with recommendations that would improve the performance of the media professionals in Mauritania.
He explained that the department, under the supervision of Prime Minister Ismail Bedda Cheikh Sidiya, is working to materialize this trend on the ground.
Dr. Ahmedou Khteira added that the traditional media coverage of news in times of crises is no longer appropriate, indicating that it requires a different approach that starts from verifying information and spreading the positive side and not only the negative stories, which has become known as the constructive journalism.
For his part, the UNICEF representative in Mauritania, Mr. M. Marc Lucet, speaking on behalf of the coordinator of the United Nations Program in Mauritania, praised the pioneering role played by journalists and media professionals in the fight against COVID-19, as the information they provide contributes to taking the necessary decisions to confront the pandemic, saying that everyone’s participation in this effort is required.
The UN official appreciated what Mauritania has done in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, by taking efficient measures to limit the spread of the virus, such as physical distancing, wearing face masks and washing hands regularly.
He added that the United Nations program in Mauritania has accompanied the efforts of the government since the outbreak of the pandemic, through awareness-raising and communication, which played an important role in educating the population and limiting the spread of the virus.