On 28 November 2024, the EAC, in collaboration with GIZ, convened a media training workshop bringing together journalists from various regional media agencies representing a mix of television, print, and digital media, including Rwanda TV, South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation, NTV Uganda, Citizen TV, and The East African News Paper.
As the EAC set to mark its 25th Anniversary celebrations themed “EAC@25: Empowering Media as Essential Partners in Integration,” this was an opportunity to strengthen its collaboration with the media, empowering journalists as vital storytellers, influencers, and critical partners in driving awareness of the regional integration agenda.
The EAC recognises the media’s unparalleled role in shaping public opinion and disseminating information to citizens at all levels. By partnering with journalists, the EAC aims to amplify its integration message, ensuring that East Africans are well-informed about policies, programmes, and initiatives driving regional unity and economic development.
This capacity development and sensitisation workshop bridged the gap between the EAC and media practitioners by enhancing their understanding of the regional bloc’s integration process, partnerships, challenges, and milestones to enable them to report accurately. Officials from the EAC Secretariat, EAC Organs and Institutions, and GIZ representatives took the stage and presented on both ongoing and upcoming initiatives as well as progress made on various regional topics, i.e., trade and customs, tourism, and digital transformation.
Participants gained in-depth knowledge of EAC integration efforts and were empowered to frame stories that resonate with the public while highlighting the bloc’s economic and social impact. For example, after the training, Mr Moses Mordecai, Uganda’s Senior Business Editor at New Vision, published an article on Tourism based on the information provided during the presentation made at the workshop.
As the EAC commemorates 25 years of fostering economic and social ties among Partner States, the capacity-building workshop underscores the importance of inclusivity. By investing in media, the EAC not only amplifies its voice but also ensures that the integration message reaches every East African citizen, including opinion leaders and decision-makers, fostering a shared vision of unity and prosperity.
For GIZ, this was an important workshop in strengthening its support to the East African Community and collaboration with the East African media to enhance outreach and high-quality communication on various implemented measures and interventions in all the sectors of the EAC-Germany cooperation and their impacts on the EAC integration process to regional and international stakeholders.
Find more information on GIZ's support to EAC Organisational Development and Outreach here.