VOA’s Creole Service has been instrumental in training more than 100 Haitian journalists since 2008. This week, nine reporters from across Haiti are at VOA headquarters for a series of workshops on journalism best practices and health reporting.
The training, sponsored by the USAID mission in Haiti, comes at a time when cholera and the Zika virus threaten the country. While in Washington, the journalists will study the VOA Charter, which calls for accurate, objective and comprehensive reporting. They also are scheduled to interview health experts such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, for reports to be aired and published in Haiti.
“We hope that this kind of training can continue, so more Haitian journalists as well as the country as a whole can benefit,” said Odilet Lesperance, a reporter and physician taking part in the program.
Late last month, ten reporters from Haiti came to VOA for journalism, broadcasting and social media training. That workshop, also hosted by VOA’s Creole Service, and sponsored by the U.S. embassy in Haiti, enabled reporters to receive hands-on training and observe the U.S. electoral process at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
“These workshops help us elevate journalistic standards in Haiti. And with the training they receive, reporters can return home and help their colleagues hone their journalistic skills,” said VOA Creole Service Chief Ronald Cesar.
