By Abena Rockcliffe and Zena HenryStarting today, members of the local media fraternity will benefit from an interactive and professional training workshop under the theme, “Democracy, Journalism, and Responsibility: Expectations for an Informed Society.”Quoting Warren Buffett, an American businessman and philanthropist who said “the smarter the journalists are, the better off society is. For to a degree, people read the press to inform themselves — and the better the teacher, the better the student body,” American Ambassador D. Brent Hardt registered the need for such a programme in Guyana.The programme, hosted at Moray House Trust, Camp andFrom left: Award Winning Journalist, Andrew Alexander, US Ambassador D. Brent Hardt, Director of the Centre for Communication Studies at UG, Ms. Carolyn Walcott, Dr. Yusuf Kalyango and Deputy Vice Chancellor of UG, Phillip Da Silva.Quamina Streets, is?a collaboration between the United States of America; Ohio University’s Institute for International Journalism in the Scripps College of Communication and the United States Embassy, Georgetown. It is being facilitated by the Centre for Communication Studies, University of Guyana, and will be spearheaded by two renowned international media veterans – African national Dr. Yusuf Kalyango and American-born Andrew Alexander.Delivering remarks to officially launch the programme were Ambassador Hardt; Carolyn Walcott, Director of the Centre for Communication Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences University of Guyana and Phillip Da Silva, Deputy Vice Chancellor of UG.Dr. Kalyango and Mr. Alexander also delivered remarks.As he spoke to an audience of reporters and stakeholders, the US Ambassador mentioned the benefits of having working collaborations and the responsibility that associates itself with the work of journalists.Hardt said that working collaborations bring different people closer together, enabling them to tackle similar problems faced.? This, he said, includes citizen security, economic hostility, social inclusion and environmental responsibility.He said that professional training encourages the dissemination of accurate,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, objective and balanced information. “The media plays an indispensable role in building a democratic society.”The envoy stressed that the press fosters active public debate and serves as a forum to express different points of view, “particularly on behalf of those who are marginalized in society. It serves a crucial function in being one of the few institutions capable of promoting vigilance against abuses of the law and government authority. It does this through investigative journalism, by raising the transparency of judicial,Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale, legislative,Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys, and administrative proceedings, by its access to public officials and public documents, and,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, most importantly, by its ability to translate this access into clear, coherent, accessible, and interesting reporting.”Hardt made no qualms to point out that “unfortunately, the press is often a target of retaliation or restrictions by those who feel threatened by freedom of expression and transparency in democratic processes.”He pointed out that journalists are often the first to uncover “corruption,Cheap NFL Jerseys,” to report from the frontlines of conflict zones, and to highlight missteps by governments.“Because of their work, many journalists around the world face not only physical danger, but other attempts to silence their voices, such as legal intimidation and threats to their livelihood.”The Ambassador said that the United States, “despite our own imperfections, remains a persistent advocate for the freedom of expression. We continue to raise media freedom issues in bilateral discussions with other governments as well as in multilateral bodies.”Hardt noted that the United States Embassy in Guyana actively supports initiatives to strengthen journalistic ethics, to build media capacity, and to encourage professionalization of the press corps.“This workshop is the latest example of our longstanding engagement with the media in Guyana,” he pointed out.In brief remarks, Walcott highlighted several reasons why such a workshop was necessary. She pointed out that of all the media houses visited,Cheap NHL Jerseys Online, it was very clear that reporters needed training. She said that since UG’s Centre for Communication Studies was established in 1975, its mandate has always been to train, but with a more strategic repositioning of responsibilities.? She emphasized that “the need to tool and retool” reporters have been recognized to enable media persons