By Emmanuel Moyo

Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) has asked journalists plying their trade in Karonga District to conduct themselves professionally when reporting on issues surrounding Gender Based Violence (GBV) with an aim of avoiding harm to GBV victims and survivors.

EAM project coordinator, Dumisan Nungu made these remarks during a two day workshop that EAM conducted with journalists from Tuesday to Wednesday at Lusubilo Community Care Hall.

Speaking in an interview after the workshop on Wednesday, Nungu described the media practitioners as a double edged sword that can cause harm as well as good on GBV issues.
“As EAM is implementing Timazge Nkhaza project, we take the media as a double edged sword, it can transform dominant norms in communities hence the need for us to conduct the training with media practitioners in Karonga since these are the people that will disseminate information.” He said.

He has since said the association expects journalists to go out and work with integrity after acquiring knowledge on gender based violence.
“We now expect these journalists to work with integrity and adequate knowledge in ensuring that dominant norms in communities are transformed.” He said.

On his part, Vice Chairperson for Karonga Press Club, Moses Kamanga commended EAM for the workshop saying it has enlightened media practitioners on many aspects of GBV.
“EAM has done a very commendable job because this is what we as journalists have been longing for and the topics that we have looked at here are so helpful and now we are better placed to report on GBV.” Kamanga said.

The workshop had 30 journalists from different media houses within Karonga and those facilitating were from the departments of health, social welfare, Malawi law society and executive director of FOWOGE.