Commonwealth Journalists Visit the Secretariat
21 June 2005
The Commonwealth Secretary-General stressed the importance of good governance and democracy when he spoke to ten Commonwealth journalists on a six-week Harry Brittain Fellowship to the UK organised by the Commonwealth Press Union.
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| Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon with the Harry Brittain Fellows at Marlborough House, London, UK. |
The fellowship included visits to national newspapers and communications and publishing companies to familiarise the journalists with the British media, as well as visits to Parliament, Commonwealth organisations, business institutions and finance houses.
During their visit to the Commonwealth Secretariat on 21 June 2005, the Secretary-General spoke to the journalists on a wide range of issues on which the Commonwealth is engaged. Mr McKinnon also took questions on governance issues about Bougainville, Cameroon, Swaziland, and Trinidad and Tobago.
He explained the role of the Commonwealth in building good governance in the 53-member association. "If countries have good governance and democratic institutions, people can display their confidence in those governments through foreign direct investment."
The Secretary-General stated that democracy and development go hand-in-hand. "You can't have one without the other. People cannot have democracy alone without development and vice versa. People want to see the benefits of democracy. And that is development."
Kenyan journalist Otsieno Namwaya, of the 'East African Standard' newspaper, said he has learned about the political system in the UK and journalism training on newspaper design and content analysis. "I picked up useful tips about newspaper layouts and the vibrancy of the media industry in the UK," commented the 33-year-old senior investigative writer.
Thirty-three-year-old Curtis Rampersad, senior reporter/editor of the 'Trinidad Express', said he could exchange ideas on editorial issues: "We want to increase readership and improve the paper's identity and presence. One way is through greater involvement in public service campaigning."
Mapula Sibanda, 33, lifestyle editor of the 'City Press' in South Africa stated that she was impressed with the creativity of the newspaper designs. "The way they do their features pages, how they present visuals, I hope to implement them back home. During this trip, I've also made new friends with journalists from other Commonwealth countries. If news breaks in their part of the world, I can call them up for information and assistance."
John Rolfe, 28, chief of staff of 'The Daily Telegraph' in Australia, said: "The primary benefit is the visit to the newspapers from which we've drawn our tradition in Australia of the press. They are still decades ahead of us. There are many things that I can take home and apply from what is arguably one of the most competitive newspaper markets in the world."
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