Remarks

Ray Castillo, Director of the American Cultural Center
Remarks at the Internews Training Award Ceremony
January 28, 2009

Distinguished Reporters and Members of the Media:

Isn’t that great.  I get to start the protocol with the members of the media, because they are our special guests today.  Typically, you guys get mentioned at the end of the protocol, but not today.

Mr. Kaombo Tjombe, Namibian Broadcasting Corporation
Mr. Robin Tyson, UNAM Radio
Station Managers and News Editors
Matt Harrington, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy

Good afternoon and welcome to this very happy event.  I am here today to honor the members of the broadcast media, radio reporters and producers from Namibian public radio stations – NBC, Base FM, Live FM and UNAM radio – who participated in the Internews training program held here in Windhoek last year.

The whole idea behind this program was to provide deeper and broader training to Namibian radio reporters, so that they might present more in-depth stories on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Namibia, capturing the humanity within the stories, and providing better reporting and information to their Namibian listeners.

The American Cultural Center provided a US$50,675 grant to Internews through the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR).  Internews is a U.S. NGO providing training in the field of radio and television journalism for public causes. 

The training started with a workshop that focused on a particular topic “Prevention of Mother-to-Child  Transmission” but really was about how to properly conduct research on a facet of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, record and use natural sound, sound bites and interview clips, and script a program that captured the humanity of this health crisis and thereby draw in and inform the listener.  That is a lot to do in 7 days.  So, Internews then followed this in-depth training with personal mentoring sessions both in Namibia and via the internet.  The innovative program also required that the trainees complete 5 broadcast features in the new style by the end of 2008.  As an incentive, Internews promised to award equipment to the successful trainees.

I am very impressed and pleased with the Namibian trainees.  I knew that they already possessed significant skills, but they have raised their reporting to new heights through this training program.  This is the sort of interesting and informative reporting that the Namibian public expects from their public broadcasters and NBC, Base FM, UNAM, and Live FM are really delivering.  Most of the trainees have continued beyond the required 5 features and are now including this great reporting as part of their regular programming.  These stories would not be out of place on National Public Radio in the United States.  Bravo!

I also want to thank the news editors and managers for giving the trainees the time to complete their tasks.  This is not spot reporting.  It is the type of report that I am used to hearing on national public radio in the U.S.

Most Namibians get their news from the radio.  You have a key role and, I think, an obligation to inform the public about important news that affects them such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic.  I have had a number of discussions with news editors where I ask why they do not put out more news about HIV/AIDS.  Responses vary but often I am told that the public does not want to hear about this story anymore.  I understand that but I think that you will agree with me that the reporters that we are here to honor today have injected a new vitality into their features.

I also need to thank some people who were instrumental to this program:

Ms. Mia Malan – was the program Director.  She initially made contact with me and conducted all the planning.  Without her this would never have happened.  She has now moved on to be a Knight Fellow at the Times and Mail in South Africa.

Ms. Angie Kapelianis, a prominent South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) journalist.  She was in the trenches with the trainees and I understand that she explained scripting better than any other trainer this group had ever met.

Mr. Lutz von Dewitz from the NBC rendered technical support.  Lutz is the technical guru.  Those who have worked in broadcasting, or on a computer, know how much we need his help. 

Rouchelle Buckingham from the American Cultural Center.  She handled things on a day to day basis including logistics, saving funding on the grant that we put to good use.

Thanks to all of you.

Now I have praised our trainees.  But you do not have to take my word for it.  Let’s listen to 3 of the features before we present the awards.