GITEGA July 27th (ABP) – The media are invited to make important contributions to strengthening the social fabric and to the implementation of the National Development Plan (PND) which extends over the period 2018-2027 with a view to playing their role of serving the general interest of the communities and the country.
That appeal was launched on Friday July 24, 2020 by the Chairman of the National Media Council (CNC), Mr. Nestor Bankumukunzi, during a meeting organized by the CNC for the heads of community radio services and provincial correspondents of the ABP of the provinces of the central-eastern and northern regions of Burundi.
The CNC chairman acknowledged the undeniable contribution made by the media to the conduct of the electoral process, which resulted in the establishment of new national institutions. He therefore urged media professionals to provide a cornerstone for strengthening social cohesion, which is the basis of all development work. He also called on journalists to play a key role in the implementation of government programs, in particular the PND, which is a vital tool to achieve the government’s primary objective of economic growth.
To effectively play their role of serving the general interest of Burundians, journalists must focus their media productions on actions to promote the well-being of the population, Mr. Bankumukunzi said. They must also participate in actions to assess the state of implementation of the PND. The media should also promote synergies of actions in the treatment of subjects likely to help the populations on their implication in the execution of the activities of community development, and thus, of economic growth.
Community radios that work in proximity to communities have been called upon to focus their programs and reports on themes related to the increase in production, in particular the promotion of crop specialization.
In addition, Mr. Bankumukunzi promised that the CNC will spare no effort to help community radios to effectively assume their role of contributing to the well-being of communities.
In his presentation on the role of the media in the post-election period, the speaker, Mr. Jérôme Niyonzima, highlighted the undeniable role of journalists in promoting culture, mutual tolerance of winners and losers of elections. The ultimate objective is thus to encourage political antagonists to a constructive debate for a good cohabitation.
The speaker also recalled the undeniable role of journalists in encouraging interaction between citizens and new institutions and in the media production of accountability programs.
He recalled the key role of the media in monitoring the implementation of promises made in the political programs of the government, in this case the PND.
For their part, the representatives of the public and private media pledged to do their best to increase the number of reports and radio broadcasts both in terms of strengthening social cohesion and in the implementation of the PND. However, they raised challenges that deserve to be addressed, in this case the insufficient means of travel and technical equipment to diversify the sources of information.