Revenue Services Lesotho (RSL) has held a two-day media training workshop under the theme, “Strengthening Tax Journalism in Lesotho”.
The workshop on Tuesday and yesterday brought together media practitioners for sessions on business reporting, investigative journalism and the effective use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
RSL said the training was aimed at equipping journalists with skills to better explain taxation, public finances and revenue collection to Basotho, as it seeks to strengthen public understanding of how tax revenue contributes to national development and essential public services.
Head of Strategic Partnerships and Public Relations, Pheello Mphana, said journalists have an important responsibility to translate complex economic and financial issues into information that ordinary citizens can understand.
He noted that good reporting on economic and financial matters is a skill that, like any other, is developed through practice.
The inclusion of AI in the training was intended to help journalists use technology to handle large volumes of information, identify patterns and uncover potential leads that could otherwise take considerable time to find.
“I want to emphasise that AI is a tool, not a replacement for journalistic judgement. It cannot replace your instinct, your ethics, your curiosity, or your responsibilities to verify your information,” Mphana said.
He stressed that journalists remain responsible for checking facts, questioning sources and ensuring that information is reported accurately and ethically.
