The Media Council of Malawi conducted a capacity-building workshop for media house ombudspersons on complaints reporting and arbitration systems on Friday in Mzuzu.
MCM Executive Director Moses Kaufa encouraged the media ombudspersons to think critically, listen carefully, and make well informed decisions when addressing complaints. He also emphasized the importance of ensuring that media staff are familiar with the Media Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct to minimize the risk of legal challenges.
Additionally, the Executive Director encouraged participants to strike a balance between their organization’s policies, the expectations of the public, and the perspectives of their staff in order to handle complaints more effectively.
Lastly, Kaufa urged them to make effective use of digital platforms to strengthen engagement with their audiences. He emphasized the importance of identifying and establishing channels for receiving and providing feedback.
“You should be able to get feedback positively and work on the concerns. If a concern is coming from a lot of people, then you should be able to create space where you can address them.”
The workshop which brought together ombudspersons from various community radio stations across the Northern Region, is part of the UNESCO-funded IPDC project ‘Strengthening the Capacity of Community Radios for Sustainable Operations and Stability.’
