Media urged to avoid instilling fear among workers
WINDHOEK – Acting executive director in the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation Lydia Indombo has urged media practitioners to report responsibly and avoid instilling fear among the labour force, especially during this time of Covid-19.
In a media statement issued on Thursday, Indombo said the ministry held a one-day training session for local media practitioners on labour and employment in Windhoek last week, which was aimed at equipping journalists with skills to enhance their reporting capacity on labour and employment, given that the media is listed as one of the ministry’s key stakeholders in its strategic plan of the free flow of information.
She said it is a fact that one needs to be well-informed to make informed decisions, and this can only happen when correct information is readily available to them.
The media thus plays an important role in disseminating information to the public, which has an influence on the public’s decision-making process.
“As we battle this Covid-19 pandemic, I urge you to report responsibly and avoid instilling the fear of the unknown among the labour force, as many fear losing their jobs as they face a future of uncertainty.
The way you report will influence their attitude towards their productivity levels at their respective workplaces”, she noted.
Indombo added that the ministry has more success stories that go unreported as reporting is mostly placed on negative stories such as retrenchments or strikes.
This is despite the availability of various positive stories such as the placement of jobseekers, the provision of counselling, advice on career choices, money recovered by the ministry on behalf of various employees, dispute resolutions and the application of relevant labour standards in attaining effective labour relations, among others.
Sophie Tendane, a media practitioner who attended the training, said it opened her mind on various labour matters, and that she will use the skills learned to improve her reporting on these matters.