In Ethiopia, where journalists usually vie to cover the economy, crime and entertainment, a new collective of 100 journalists and communicators is shining a spotlight on an often-neglected beat: health.
Ethiopia’s first organization of health journalists, the Addis Ababa Health Journalists Initiative, formed last month with the goal of boosting the quality and breadth of health coverage in the country. It will create resources, training and online discussion forums so health journalists and health experts can better connect and learn from one another.
Radio journalist and media trainer Elsabet Samuel, who helped organize the collective as part of her Knight International Journalism Fellowship, talked with IJNet about why better health reporting is so critical in Ethiopia and her hopes for the new association.
IJNet helps professional, citizen and aspiring journalists find training, improve their skills and make connections. IJNet is produced by the International Center for Journalists in seven languages--Arabic, Chinese, English, Persian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish--with a global team of professional editors. It is supported by donors including the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.