Embassy Hosts Journalists to a Working Lunch In Beijing

The Embassy of Sierra Leone in China on Friday, 22nd April, 2016, hosted to a working lunch, a group of 20 Sierra Leonean Journalists, rounding up a three week long training session on New Media, organized by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television and sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce.

The Working Lunch was aimed at fostering cooperation between the media, through 20 participants who had arrived in Beijing, and the embassy as well as creating an interactive and open dialogue session between the two.

Deputy Head of Mission and Acting Ambassador, Madam Kumba Alice Momoh, in welcoming the Government’s Information Officers and mainstream Journalists said, the doors of the embassy would always remain open to Sierra Leoneans, and was particularly happy hosting journalists since she was at one time a broadcaster at the then SLBS (now SLBC).

Madam Momoh congratulated the team for going through a three week intensive training session, which she said, might have materialized as a result of the participants’ hard work and commitments.

She encouraged them to go back home and “use the skills got to give Sierra Leone a voice” by creating awareness, informing and educating people “from a perspective that is not driven by the West or East but fueled by the passion you have for the field of journalism…” specifically calling on them to “add value to the country through the knowledge gained in China”.

The platform media practitioners hold, she said, is well respected but one that comes with great responsibility and expectations from the public. “You can make a difference to the wellbeing of Sierra Leone”, she said, also calling on them to sell Sierra Leone positively for the good of everyone.

Also speaking was the Head of Chancery/Minister Counsellor, Unisa Sahid Kamara. He underscored the crucial role that the media has in national development which he said should be properly executed if a country should advance.

Given the value that the Sierra Leone Government has for the media, he said, by 2007, Information Attachés were appointed to a number of the country’s embassies as well as journalists being appointed Government Ministers by the President, Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma.

Unisa S. Kamara encouraged the team to do all they could to help in changing public perception about Sierra Leone since without accurate information, people won’t be well informed about development in the country.

Austin Thomas, Team Leader made a commitment, on behalf of the participants, to go back home and make impact based on what they have gained from the training session.

He expressed the team’s appreciation to the embassy for hosting them, also highlighting the growth in diplomatic and people-to-people relations between Sierra Leone and China, thanking the Chinese and Sierra Leone Governments for facilitating the training seminar and giving assurances of doing all they could in changing the negative perception people have about the country.

Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!