A training course run by the National League of Commune/Sangkat Councils is teaching commune officials to be better spokespeople.

A TRAINING course sponsored in part by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities is training 16 council members from communes across the nation to become effective media officers and spokespeople.

The course, organised by the National League of Commune/Sangkat Councils, started Wednesday and concludes today.

"We organised this training course in order to teach [council members] how to communicate with reporters, answer to reporters and write reports about the achievements of the commune," Pok Sokundara, secretary general of the National League of Commune/Sangkat Councils, said Wednesday.

He added that the members taking part in the course were selected by the league, and that topics ranged from communication and advocacy theory to how to interview people and find general information.

"This course can help [members] understand how to communicate with media officers, which currently seems difficult for them because it is new and different from what they've done before," he said.

Chhay Sophal, director of the media organisation Cambodia News, which has been helping to train the councillors, said Wednesday that the programme was designed to make information more readily available at the grassroots level.

We live with the media, so having good communication ... is very important.

"I think it's good to have spokespeople in provincial or commune councils in order to provide information to journalists or other media centers," he said.

Linking officials with locals

Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers, said Thursday he supported any programme that could help improve communication between the government and local people.

"We live with the media, so having good communication with [journalists] is very important."