A two-day workshop aimed at promoting cooperation and sharing of news materials among media houses across the IGAD member states has opened in Djibouti. The meeting brings together officials from the Ministries of Information, Directors and Managers of national broadcasting corporations, and news agencies from the region. Representatives from Somalia, including the Director of Somali National News Agency (SONNA), Ismail Mukhtar Omar, and Somalia’s Ambassador to Djibouti, Mr. Salad Ali Jelle, are among the attendees at the event. The workshop seeks to create a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will outline areas of cooperation between media houses and opportunities for enhanced interactions. The MoU will also establish a digital platform that will enable member states to contribute to and borrow news material from one another. Among the objectives of the workshop is to identify areas of cooperation between media houses and opportunities for enhanced interactions. Participants will share knowledge and best practices with their counterparts, paving the way for the establishment of a digital platform to facilitate the sharing of news materials. Speaking during the opening ceremony, the Director-General of Djibouti National Television, Ali Abdi Farah, emphasized the need for media houses to work together in the spirit of solidarity and mutual cooperation. He noted that the workshop provided an opportunity for participants to learn from one another and strengthen regional ties. The Director of SONNA, Ismail Mukhtar Omar, highlighted the importance of the workshop in promoting regional integration and solidarity. He said that the initiative would go a long way in facilitating the sharing of news materials and promoting the free flow of information across the region. Other attendees at the workshop include representatives from Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, and Uganda. The event is expected to provide a platform for the exchange of ideas and experiences, leading to the establishment of a robust regional media network. The IGAD member states have been working to strengthen regional integration and cooperation in various areas, including trade, security, and infrastructure development. The media sector is seen as a critical player in promoting regional integration and solidarity, hence the need to enhance cooperation among media houses across the region.
Source: Somali National News Agency