Malawi Bureau of Standards (MBS) has said an informed and knowledgeable media is key in ensuring health, safety and welfare of the public.
MBS Acting Director General Thomas Senganimalunje said this during a two-day orientation for the media on the Bureau’s mandate and operations. The training took place on Monday, February 20 and Tuesday, February 21, 2023 in Lilongwe.
The training, organized by MISA Malawi and the Bureau, targeted Lilongwe-based journalists and looked at issues to do with quality assurance of commodities; inspections and certifications; manufacturing, production, processing or treatment of commodities and any other matters connected with standardization.
“Apart from supplying facts, the media plays an important role of explaining and interpreting different events and situations. And so we believe that through these workshops the media can acquire facts about MBS and then interpret those facts to suit various audiences some of whom are also our target markets.
“That is why the MBS in collaboration with MISA Malawi thought of introducing an award on Standards and Quality Journalist of the Year, as one way of motivating journalists to take more interest in issues to do with quality and standards of goods and services found on the Malawian market,” Senganimalunje said.
Speaking at the event, MISA Malawi Vice Chairperson Mandy Pondani said there are still many journalists who need knowledge on the work of the Bureau in promoting health and safety of Malawians.
She encouraged participants to share the knowledge gained during the training with colleagues in their respective newsrooms.
In April 2022, MISA Malawi and MBS signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to recognise outstanding journalistic stories on standards and quality of goods and services.
The current agreement is for 3 years and two journalists were already awarded during the 2022 MISA Malawi Annual Awards Gala Dinner at Sunbird Chintheche in Nkhatabay.
