Social Protection Media Reporting Training Manual

This training manual was prepared by Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA) with technical and financial assistance from the International Labour Organization with and support from the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS) and Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MoLSS). The objective of this manual is to enhance knowledge levels among Zambian journalists in social protection. It is envisaged that once journalists are trained in this subject matter, improved reporting and content on social protection in the Zambian media will be attained while the journalists’ agenda setting and watchdog roles will be ignited towards the subject of social protection in Zambia. In developing this manual, MISA Zambia engaged academia from the University of Zambia media department and social protection experts from the government of Zambia and the International Labour Organization (ILO). It is therefore, expected that once media has enhanced knowledge on social protection international standards and the current social protection landscape, the citizens will be well informed on the social protection services, where to access them and benefits/impacts of social protection. Further, a healthy discourse on how to improve social protection will abound as beneficiaries will have an opportunity to add their voices in the design and implementation of social protection services as opposed to being mere recipients. This can only arise if there is improved knowledge on the subject matter of social protection.