United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has incorporated the promotion of development and independent journalism as a single component in its programming.

The UN's development agency says that for the world to quickly achieve the stated millennium development goals there was need to invest in investigative journalism so that development issues are thoroughly examined.

According to UNDP's Communication Analyst, at the Uganda country office, Simon Omoding, for MDGs to be realised, journalists need to be at the frontline. "We are after promotion of communication for the people through independent journalism," Mr Omoding said.

He said UNDP wants journalists trained on development issues, beginning right at journalism schools. To kick-start the programme, UNDP sponsored five Makerere University students to attend lectures on development issues in Norwegian University Colleges, in an exchange programme meant to expose them to development issues from different countries.

The third year students including the author, Bob Abor, Harriet Anena, Diana Nabiruma and Nelson Wesonga visited Norwegian University Colleges of Volda and Bodoe where they shared experiences with their Norwegian counterparts.

They also shared experiences with senior Norwegian journalists.

Daily Monitor's political reporter, Mr Chris Obore, presented a paper on the theme, The role of media in governance.

He said journalists need to courageously challenge bad leadership.

Ms Elisabeth Eide, a media researcher from Oslo University pointed out that journalists are now working in a globalised world and should thus be careful while dealing with news from other countries.

She accused foreign journalists of following written scripts when reporting about Africa focusing only on crises, catastrophe, conflict and war while ignoring issues like survival, reconstruction and people's hope.