USAID – FAO – MoA -AJI Roll Out Media Fellowship Program
The Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health Services (DGLAHS) Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), together with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the FAO Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) Indonesia and the Alliance of Independent Journalists Indonesia (AJI) have organized a Media Fellowship for Indonesian journalists. This program selected three journalists from Kompas TV, Tempo.co and Tribun Manado as prize winners for the best media coverage of zoonoses and emerging infectious diseases (EID). The winners received a cash prize and an invitation to attend the 5th International One Health Conference in Canada in June 2018.
The objective of this media fellowship is to strengthen the knowledge of Indonesian journalists on emerging pandemic disease threats and zoonoses, diseases transmitted from animals to humans. Twenty-five journalists were selected to participate in the program. They attended a series of workshops since February 2018, following which the judging committee selected the 10 best proposals to receive support and technical assistance from senior journalists to complete their journalistic assignments on pandemic disease threats and EID.
Abdul Manan, the Chairman of AJI stated that this program should be supported and held regularly since animal health has always been considered less attractive as a news item compared to political issues. Whereas, according to him both the community and the Indonesian poultry industry have suffered massive losses caused by outbreaks of Avian Influenza since 2004.
The Director General of Livestock and Animal Health Services, Dr I. Ketut Diarmita acknowledged the significant role of the media to increase public awareness of important health issues and to act as sources of information as well as agents for behavior change. Ketut added that the government, international technical agencies and donors, have collaborated together to prevent, detect and control pandemic threats through the USAID-funded Emerging Pandemic Threats 2 (EPT2) program.
"Of course, this effort needs the active participation of the community. Especially through the media, as a partner to educate people to safeguard their health and be aware of pandemic threats" he explained.
"The right information being distributed on time can save lives," said Jonathan Ross, USAID Health Attaché. "In responding to the threat of a pandemic, the United States Government recognizes that the media play an important role in disseminating critical information to raise awareness and encourage healthy behavior that can lead to eradication of disease." USAID through FAO is proud to support this partnership with MoA and AJI,” he added.
Meanwhile, the FAO Representative in Indonesia Stephen Rudgard expressed his appreciation to AJI, the MoA as well as USAID for their full cooperation in supporting the media fellowship. Stephen hoped that the journalists, whose awareness of EID and zoonoses has been raised through the Fellowship will act as agents of change in the community for us all to be more alert and vigilant about the threats of emerging pandemics and zoonoses in Indonesia. (END)
Selected Media Reports:
(Tempo)https://nasional.tempo.co/read/1089913/USAID-Kementan-FAO Work together for a Journalist Fellowship
(Tribun news) http://m.tribunnews.com/nasional/2018/05/15/Minister of Agriculture work with USAID FAO for a journalist fellowship programme (ID)
(Jawa Pos) https://m.jpnn.com/amp/news/Raising Public Awareness MoA work with USAID and FAo
(Citra Indonesia) https://citraindonesia.com/MOA-USAID-FAO work together for a journalist fellowship programme /
(Nusa Kini) http://nusakini.com/news/Moa work with USAID-FAO for a media fellowship programme-
(Pomidor) http://pomidor.id/2018/05/fellowhip for animal health focused journalist - /
(Kabar Medan)https://kabarmedan.com/MoA Work kementan-kerjasama-dengan-aji-fao-dan-usaid-gulirkan-program-beasiswa-media/
(Halo Indo) http://halloindo.com/jpnn/2018/05/14/Raising Public Awareness MoA work together with USAID – FAO
(M. rilis) http://m.rilis.id/Three Journalist Reports win MoA-FAO-fellowship
(Monitor) https://monitor.co.id/nasional/pemerintahan/Government work with USAID FAO Handed Media Fellowship /
(Jurnas) http://www.jurnas.com/artikel/34433/MoA work with USAID and FAO Award Journalists with Fellowship /