ZACRAS, in partnership with Amnesty International, with support from the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF), trained 195 citizen journalists across the country.

Over the course of 10 one-day workshops held in March and April 2023, these young reporters were equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to produce high-quality programming for their local community radio stations.

The trainings covered a wide range of topics, from journalistic ethics and interviewing techniques to the fundamentals of audio production and editing. By all accounts, the workshops were a resounding success. with each of the 10 participating radio stations acknowledging the relevance of the training and how it had contributed to the knowledge and understanding of the need to have quality programs.

In the weeks and months that followed, the citizen journalists put their newfound abilities to the test, producing a flurry of news articles and radio programs that tackled important local issues with a newfound level of professionalism.

While the participants demonstrated marked improvement in areas like content gathering, interviewing, and overall editorial judgment, they did identify one area that could use some additional attention - the technical aspects of audio production and editing. Many felt that more hands-on time with recording equipment and editing software would have further bolstered their skills and confidence in this domain.

Nevertheless, the ZACRAS-led training initiative was widely hailed as a triumph, empowering community journalists to elevate the standard of local media.