Nation to Establish Media Center of Excellence

 Addis Abeba October 15/2020 (ENA) Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority announced a plan to establish a Media Center of Excellence to enhance the professional capacity of journalists and the media industry in the country by providing state-of-the-art training courses. 

Speaking to ENA, Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority Deputy Director-General said the proposal to establish the media center of excellence is prepared in partnership with Ethiopian media professionals and experts from Aljazeera Media Network.

According to the deputy general director, the current graduates of the various Universities in the country largely lack practical skills of journalism as the courses don’t accommodate the adequate practical training that is critically important to the profession.  

The center, which is expected to be fully operational after three and half years, is believed to narrow the existing gaps in terms of professional skill, ethical principles, and other limitations being observed in the media industry, he pointed out.

The center of excellence aimed at strengthening the media industry in Ethiopia particularly journalistic professionalism through series of practical on-the-job training in order to help the sector properly play its key role in the nation-building process, he added.

According to the deputy director-general, the authority has currently been in identifying places appropriate for the establishment of the center.

The center will be equipped with the necessary equipment and infrastructures vital to adequately render state-of-the-art training courses to both local and international media professionals, he underscored.

The governments of Ethiopia and Qatar will provide the fund required to build the center, it was learned.