On July 26, ICK News celebrated its second anniversary, highlighting the achievements of the past two years and emphasizing the importance of producing exemplary stories.

 The celebration served as a reminder to the journalists of ICK News that their work should set a standard for others, reflecting the high-quality journalism taught at their university.

During the event, media policy leaders urged ICK News writers to continue striving for excellence.

Peacemaker Mbungiramihigo, a Media Policy Analyst at the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), praised the efforts of the journalists and the support from ICK, underscoring the organization’s commitment to hard work and professionalism.

He encouraged the students and reporters to create impactful stories that contribute to societal betterment.

Cleophas Barore, Head of the Rwanda Media Commission (RMC) and Director General of the Rwanda Broadcast Agency (RBA), also emphasized the importance of professionalism in journalism.

“Readers expect high-quality writing from those who have studied journalism,” he said, urging students to distinguish themselves with thorough and accurate reporting.

Barore reminded them that “a journalist is someone who informs people about the truth,” and encouraged them to be role models by practicing professional journalism and avoiding trends that compromise ethics and values.

Father Prof. Fidèle Dushimimana, Vice Chancellor of ICK, reiterated the university’s commitment to supporting ICK News in achieving its goals of disseminating information and being a voice for the voiceless.

“The birth of ICK News was part of a larger plan to give back to the community and support its growth,” he remarked.

On behalf of the Rwanda Media Programme that shared an effort to organise the event, Assoumani Ntakirutimana emphasizes that the programme will keep Empowering journalism students.

He said, “The program will continue to help students studying journalism to learn how to practice professionally in order to prepare good journalists for the future.”

Jean Baptiste Hategekimana, Dean of the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Studies, highlighted the long-term benefits of the advice received by the students.

He assured continued support from the faculty, with plans to increase practical training in both Kinyarwanda and English, and to enhance audiovisual practice opportunities for students interested in TV and radio journalism.

The students found the professional advice invaluable. Papias Irambona, a first-year journalism student, said, “Meeting Barore was crucial for me. His advice on writing competitive journalistic stories is exactly what I needed.”

Pauline Ikundabayo, a second-year student, reflected on her growth, noting, “I didn’t initially grasp the importance of consulting with my editor. Now, I see the value of thorough preparation and feedback.”

Jean Felix Muhire, the editor-in-chief of ICK News, supported these views and emphasized the need for higher standards in reporting. He committed to sending reporters back to the field if essential details were missing from their stories, stating, “This will teach them to gather all necessary information and improve their fieldwork skills.”

Currently, ICK News boasts 30 active reporters and has published over 1,100 news stories, reflecting its growing impact and dedication to high-quality journalism.