UWA Rallies Journalists to Promote Conservation Reporting
By, Basaija Idd;
Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has appealed to journalists to increase their efforts in promoting public awareness and policy action for wildlife conservation.
The UWA believes that if journalists give more attention to wildlife conservation, the rate of crime against wildlife would decrease significantly.
This came up in a meeting organized by UWA for journalists in the Rwenzori Sub region in Kasese to update them on their conservation efforts and to build their capacity in conservation reporting.
The UWA Communication Manager, Bashir Hangi, stated that journalists play a crucial role in shaping public perception and need support through the provision of accurate information and capacity building in conservation reporting.
The Chief Warden of Queen Elizabeth National Park, Ezuma Pontious, acknowledged the significant contribution of the media in environmental conservation and expressed interest in collaborating with journalists as a bridge between the authority and the local community.
The Kasese Deputy Resident District Commissioner, Zepha Mubingwa, called for a mutual working relationship between the media and environment experts to disseminate information among communities on wildlife conservation and the importance of protecting and conserving nature.
“Journalists are very important people and therefore UWA is on the right track when it thinks of bringing them on board and key patterns in conservation,” Mubingwa noted.
Samuel Kachope, a journalist working with Rwenzori Television, emphasized that such engagements not only equip them with information but also build their capacity in reporting, enabling them to report on wildlife conservation better.
