Scribes drilled in public finance investigations

Nation on Sunday (NoS) Editor Ephraim Munthali on Friday tipped a cross-section of journalists drawn from almost all media houses in the country on how best they can promote public financial accountability by using investigative journalism skills.

Munthali also took time to reflect on whether more aggressive investigative journalists could have prevented or minimise the theft of public funds popularly called Capital Hill Cashgate.

In his presentation ‘Investigative Journalism in Public Financial Management,’ at a media orientation on government public finance management systems at Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi, Munthali challenged journalists and other Ministry of Finance officials that investigative journalism (IJ) calls for greater resources, teamwork and time than conventional journalism.

“It needs curiosity, passion, logical thinking, organisation, self-discipline, flexibility, good team working and communication skills, well developed reporting skills, courage, integrity, determination and patience as well as fairness and strong ethics,” said Munthali, a long-time financial journalist in Malawi.