Varsity don calls for enhanced investigative journalism

JOURNALISTS should develop skills in forensic investigation as a means to improve their investigative journalism, Coppertone University Vice-Chancellor Professor Mundia Sitwala has suggested.

Prof Sitwala observed that a good number of journalists were not fully equipped in investigative journalism.

He was speaking in an interview in Ndola on the side-lines of a workshop on ‘Forensic Auditing and investigation, Risk Management and Cyber Crime, Roots and Solutions’ organised by the Copperstone University.

He said the university had been propagating to introduce forensic journalism to help the media personnel acquire requisite skills and knowledge in investigative journalism.

Coppertone University, he said, was planning to enrol forensic investigation students aimed at creating a platform for good journalism in the country.

“By this I am not saying our media practitioners are half baked. The media in Zambia is doing a good job so far although they lack adequate tools that are essential for forensic investigations,” he said. Prof Sitwala revealed about 20 people would be given scholarships to study forensic investigation at the University.

He said the scholarships would be funded by identified stakeholders to enhance forensic knowledge in the country.

Prof Sitwala stated that meetings with the media and other stakeholders would be held next month to enhance forensic knowledge.

The Vice-Chancellor further said that the institution wanted to ensure that the vulnerable people in the country were educated.