FESOJ Wraps Up Training to Enhance Professional Skills of Twenty Young Journalists in Galkacyo
Mogadishu, Wednesday, January 7, 2025: The Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ) has completed training with young newly employed journalists across Somalia on professional skills in Galkacyo city, Puntland State, Somalia.
The capacity building program was part of final round of a series of eighteen trainings conducted by FESOJ across Somalia over the past 3 years.
The two-day training workshop, held from 28th to 29th December 2025 at Al Jazeera Hotel in Galkacyo city, hosted for 20 young journalists (13 male, 7 female) coming from various media outlets including Radio Daljir, Radio Galkacyo, Radio Voice of Peace (Codka nabadda), Raad TV, True Cable, Punland TV, Qaamuus TV and Kalsan TV plus some freelancers.
“The purpose is to improve the professional capacity of the young journalists especially in the ethics of journalism which is required to be practically adopted.” Burhan Mohamed Abdi, Ministry of Information representative to Galkacyo city, Puntland pointed out in his opening remarks.
Ahmed Ali Mohamed Sharif, Head of FESOJ’s Training Department, said FESOJ is strengthening young journalists’ skills and ethical awareness, and urged trainees to apply what they have learned in their future work.
During the 2-day training proceedings, the participants were taken through the main themes focusing on: Journalism ethics, the media law, gender sensitive reporting, conflict sensitive reporting, use of social media – roles and critiques and combating disinformation.
The training program was important to address knowledge gaps and to increase professionalism within Somali media and journalists.
“We have benefited from the training by learning basic journalism skills, especially conflict-sensitive reporting, which is particularly relevant to our region,” said Foos Abdi Hassan, a female reporter from Mudug Region Media. “I urge journalists to learn more about media laws and the Constitution at both federal and regional levels to better understand their obligations. I also hope to share what we have learned with our colleagues at the workplace.”
Abdullahi Bashir Farah, a reporter from Radio Galkacya in Puntland, said the training for young journalists was a very important opportunity, as it focused on professional journalism, particularly ethics and skills in preparing news and interviews.
He expressed appreciation to FESOJ, VIKES, and FPU for their contribution and support, and noted that despite the large number of journalists in Galkacyo, no similar training had been held in the city for the past six months, highlighting the need for more such initiatives.
In his closing remarks, Burhan Mohamed Abdi, Ministry of Information representative to Galkacyo city, Puntland expressed to be very pleased with successfully concluding the 2 – day training for the newly young employed journalists with basic professional skills and what is believed to be important for the media including how to cover gender sensitive issues.
Furthermore, he mentioned the young journalists were exposed with the other themes including disinformation, how to deal carefully with the social media and the ethics that generally safeguard the professional skills.
The training workshop is part of program activities funded by the EU, supported by Free Press Unlimited (FPU) and implemented by FESOJ in cooperation with VIKES.
