UNESCO and the Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB) opened a three-day refresher Training of Trainers (ToT) in Dhaka on Tuesday to strengthen journalists’ readiness for Local Government Election reporting, information integrity, and safety.
The training workshop, taking place at PIB under the UNDP-led BALLOT Project, brings together 20 journalists and academics to support accurate, responsible, and safe election reporting, reads a press release.
The refresher builds upon PIB’s earlier election-reporting ToT, whose trainer network subsequently trained more than 2,600 journalists across 60 districts. The new programme updates that work for the distinct reporting needs of Local Government Elections while preparing participants to share their learning through future cascade training.
Over the course of the three days, sessions will address election laws and reporting guidelines, conflict-sensitive journalism, hate speech, information integrity, AI-enabled misinformation, practical verification, and journalists’ safety. Participants will also develop and practise short training segments for use in future training.
Speaking at the inauguration, PIB Director General Faruk Wasif said, “Local Government Elections are central to representation and services closest to communities. With UNESCO’s support through the UNDP-led BALLOT Project, PIB is strengthening grassroots journalism with updated knowledge and fact-based reporting skills to help journalists identify and respond to disinformation and attempts to manipulate information through social media”.
Dr Susan Vize, Head of Office and UNESCO Representative to Bangladesh, emphasised the role of media coverage in local polls: “Local Government Elections shape decisions and services that affect people’s daily lives, so accurate and responsible reporting is essential”. She commended PIB’s trainers for their work ahead of the national elections and expressed confidence in their preparation of journalists to cover local elections with appropriate care.
Attending as a special guest, Andrés del Castillo Sánchez, Chief Technical Adviser and Project Manager of BALLOT, highlighted global precedents: “Recent elections around the world and election campaigns in Brazil show how campaign information can shape voters’ choices and leave a lasting mark on public trust. Through BALLOT, we are pleased to work with UNESCO and PIB to strengthen journalists’ capacity to verify and report responsibly”.
Resource persons for the workshop include specialists from the Bangladesh Election Commission, the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, UNESCO, and the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh’s Centre for Critical and Qualitative Studies. Representatives of UNESCO and UNDP under the BALLOT Project, alongside representatives of PIB’s Training Department, also attended the inauguration.
