This was during a three day workshop that took place in Bafoussam Recently
Over 20 journalists from the North West Region have been given the mandate to engage in professional reporting that will go a long way to reduce violent conflicts especially in crisis hit areas.
This was the outcome of a 3day capacity building workshop recently in Bafoussam on conflict sensitive reporting, thanks to “Defyhatenow” pegged on the theme, “Catalysing Media for Peace and Justice.” According to the Country Director of “Defyhatnow” Ngala Desmond, the workshop had as driving force, breeding professional journalists in the aspect to covering conflict situations in a way that can precipitate nonviolence, dialogue, justice, tolerance and responsibility.
The workshop gave journalists hands on knowledge and skills on how to analyse, treat and report on conflict in a manner that is solution and peace oriented. According to one of the main resource persons, Eugene Nforngwa, good journalism is a constant process of seeking solutions reason why he commissioned the media professionals, to always consider the consequences of their reporting especially factoring in the aspects of “Do No Harm” principles in the words, images and angles chosen in reporting conflicts.
For three days, journalists were educated on various roles they play in the reduction of conflicts, ranging from correcting misperceptions, channeling communication, solution and confidence building, making the stories human to encouraging a balance of power. It is expected that the journalists go back to shift the narratives by moving away from information that is defamatory, derivative, malicious and corrupt to well researched and fact-checking stories that represent the hallmarks of accuracy, impartiality and responsibility that makes more reliable as key actors in peace building and conflict transformation.
Also, very relevant to the journalists during the workshop was the outcome of a checklist for conflict sensitive journalism which according to one of the participants, Ndong Carine , will help her in subsequently avoiding words and images that only end up in making a bad situation worse and rather focus on the solution oriented content in reporting conflict and crisis.
To Tatan Patience, she is going back equipped with more than enough skills and tools to build peace, stay objective and to ensure her report carries nothing that sparks of hate speech, fake news or unverified data. This according to her, will enable for feedback that is peace oriented and thus leaving her audience with just the right information that they will be use to take informed decisions for common good and for peace.
In the days ahead, Defyhatenow is going to actualize more actions on the field in connection to enhancing the role of media in peace and justice. “We are going to continue with the mentorship programme, which will depend on the feedback of the journalists trained so far in the next one month, ” Desmond Ngala, said. He added that this is to evaluate to see what has changed positively thanks to the training on conflict sensitive reporting. He remains positive that in the next six months, a lot will change through their reporting looking at the developments in the crisis hit zones in the NW Region. There are some people who cannot be taught, there are some who are unteacheable, but I am challenging you to move out of that bandwagon. Let us work together to give the public better information and news,” Desmond’s last words to the NW Journalists.
On behalf of the participants, Ndong Carine, in a well worded address, expressed gratitude to Defy hatenow for the cutting edge training that has exposed the NW Journalists to the dynamics of conflict sensitive reporting that falls squarely with the current dispensation in the region as the regional capital, Bamenda has become the flash point of the armed conflict pitting the government and separatist forces. On this note, participants promised to tell the truth under their professional obligations while avoiding possible abuses of the power of news media.
Akweba Rosaline
LIENGU'S DIARY 