Basic Journalism

Mozambique-maternity ward

The maternity ward in Ngapa is stark, but there are mosquito nets. (Photo by Mercedes Sayagues)

Mozambique-Fatima

When we saw her outside the health clinic, Fatima Namangana was contorted with pain and so sick she might not have survived the night. (Photo by Mercedes Sayagues)

Jan 232012

Trio of Reporting Awards Helps Elevate Role of Health News and Women Journalists in Mozambique

When Knight International Journalism Fellow Mercedes Sayagues arrived at the Savana newsroom in Maputo, Mozambique, in 2010, she found a lone woman reporter covering health and education news, stories that were largely ignored by editors more focused on politics, sports and corruption. “Salane Muchanga was the token woman, and not taken seriously,” recalls Sayagues.

Sayagues went to work, guiding the young reporter in the basics of health journalism.

Mozambique - Sand Eating

A woman in Maputo buys a bag of sand—a popular snack – from a street vendor. It’s a dangerous health risk, as Muchanga explained in an award-winning piece. (Photo by Mercedes Sayagues)

Mozambique - Grannies photo

Muchanga was the first to focus on elderly women whose families accuse them of witchcraft—often as a way to avoid the cost of elder care. (Photo by Mercedes Sayagues)

Mozambique - Salane Muchanga rain photos

Trash-clogged gutters force rainwater to back up into streets that become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. (Photo by Mercedes Sayagues)

Mozambique - Salane Muchanga Rain Interview

Muchanga (left) interviewed residents from flooded communities about the diseases and poor sanitation that often follow rainstorms. (Photo by Mercedes Sayagues)

Mozambique-Salane Muchanga Journalism Award

Salane Muchanga’s most recent award honored her health reporting on a community that has prevented flooding—and the ensuing health risks. (Photo by Mercedes Sayagues)

Jan 192012

Remote Mozambique Relies on Radio for Health News

Mueda is where Mozambique’s uprising against colonial rule started, back in 1960. A memorial and a museum celebrate the event – but that pretty much exhausts the benefits Mueda has derived from its heroic past. Remote and poor, the district got electricity only last year.

Mozambique Radio Training Session

The journalists who showed up for training on health issues have almost no formal training in the basics of journalism, let alone how to cover health news. Knight Fellow Mercedes Sayagues, standing, conducted the training session. (Photo by Emanuel Pereira)