(SLENA, 5th May, 2021). Statistics Sierra Leone in partnership with Paris 21 and SLENA conclude a three days Zoom training on Communication data. The training commenced 0n the 25th April and ended on the 27th April, 2022. The 25 journalists were selected from diverse media Institutions in the country and 33 Statisticians from Stats SL.
According to the different partners, the focus of the project is to mobilise, train and mentor journalists and statisticians on how to communicate data in a user-friendly way and make them viable partners in the process of data dissemination whilst addressing the question of public trust in statistical outputs.
In partnership with the Sierra Leone News Agency (SLENA), the project aims to build the capacity of Sierra Leonean journalists on data literacy with the final aim of improving public trust in the data generated by Stats SL. The training also aims to improve the data communication skills of statisticians at Stats SL to ensure that statistical outputs are user-friendly.
At the end of the three days training, journalists were expected to have a better understanding and sustained informational dissemination of STATS SL reports and provide clear and more credible interpretation to the public and reduce the mistrust and misunderstanding often associated with statistical reports.
Meanwhile, the implementing partners commented on the objectives of the training which they said is to strengthen statistical communication skills of journalists and statisticians to promote public trust in official statistics.
They added that, the training was an opportunity for journalists and statisticians to share knowledge and collaborate in the use of statistics for data stories.
They concluded by given four key recommended objectives of the project to enhance the effective use of data by journalists and to disseminate effective and efficiently data stories. The recommended objectives were: Foster trust in official statistics; enhance communication skills of statisticians in order to explain statistics to non-technical audiences; strengthen the knowledge of journalists about statistics and how to use them in their work; and to promote understanding and collaboration between journalists and statisticians.
