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MFWA MOURNS KOMLA DUMOR

Vivian Affoah
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MFWA MOURNS KOMLA DUMOR

The board, management and staff of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) are saddened by the sudden death of one of Africa’s best journalists, Komla Afeke Dumor.

The MFWA joins Ghanaians, Africa and the world in mourning the passing away of this icon of inspiration and professionalism in journalism. Our condolences and heartfelt sympathies go to the bereaved family, especially, his wife, Kwansema Dumor, and the children he left behind.

Komla raised the standard of journalism in Africa. He brought a lot of pride to many Ghanaians and Africans when he joined the BBC Africa Service and later, the World Service. His depth of knowledge, non-partisan posture to issues and captivating presentations while with the Ghana-based Joy FM and later with the BBC will forever be remembered in journalism in Ghana and Africa.

As an organisation committed to the promotion of media development and professionalism, Komla’s work always came through as the epitome of professional journalism.

He was an illustrious journalist and a trailblazer for many young journalists in Ghana and Africa as a whole. We have indeed lost a talented gem in journalism.

Komla, damirifa due! Rest in peace!

Leadership Changes at MFWA

Vivian Affoah
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Leadership Changes at MFWA

The Board of Directors of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has elected a new Chairman of the Board and appointed a new Executive Director for the organisation. The decisions were made at the Board’s two-day meeting in Accra, held on January 8 and 9, 2014.

At the board level, Mr. Edetaen Ojo from Nigeria has been elected as the new Chairman. He replaces Ms. Soyata Maiga from Mali, whose tenure as board Chair has come to an end. Mr. Ojo, who is the Executive Director of the Nigeria-based Media Rights Agenda (MRA), is one of Africa’s leading experts on free expression, media development and access to information.

Mr. Ojo is a board member of a number of local, regional and international human rights and media development organisations including the Uganda-based African Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) and the International Media Support (IMS) based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Until June 2013, he was the Convenor (Chair) of the governing council of the Canada-based organisation, IFEX, the world’s biggest network of free expression advocacy organisation.

At the management level, the Board has appointed Mr. Sulemana Braimah as the new Executive Director of the organisation following the retirement of Prof. Kwame Karikari who has been the Executive Director of the organisation for the past 16 years.

Mr. Braimah has tremendous experience in free expression and media development issues and has participated in and presented papers at several international conferences on free expression and media development. In the last two years, Mr. Braimah has served as a reviewer of the World Press Freedom Index, an annual ranking of countries on press freedom, conducted by the US-based organisation, Freedom House. He currently serves on the Governing Council and the Executive Committee of IFEX.

Mr. Braimah joined the MFWA in 2010 and until his appointment, was the Deputy Executive Director of the organisation. Prior to joining the MFWA, he worked as news editor of The Chronicle Newspaper in Ghana, and part-time lecturer at the Africa University Colleague of Communications

Kwame Karikari

The board highly commended Prof. Kwame Karikari for his exemplary leadership of the MFWA for the past 16 years. It also commended the organisation for its tremendous efforts in promoting free expression in West Africa, particularly its work on safety of journalists and media development in Mali and Cote d’Ivoire during the political crisis and in the ongoing democratic recovery processes in those countries.

The board issued a resolution at the end of its meeting in which it expressed concern about the falling standards of professionalism in media practice in the West Africa region. The Board also expressed deep concern about the serious challenges posed by extremism, terrorism and drug trafficking to media freedom and practice in West Africa and called on national governments, regional bodies and civil society groups in West Africa to work collaboratively to address the problem,” the resolution stated.

          Below is the full resolution adopted by the Board:

 

Resolution

By the Board of Directors of Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)
At its Meeting held in Accra, Ghana, on January 8 & 9, 2014.

On January 8 and 9, 2014, the Board of Directors of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) met in Accra, Ghana, to discuss and review a number of strategic issues relating to the operations of the organisation as well as the broader issues of media freedom, freedom of expression and media development in the West African sub-region.

The meeting was presided over by the Vice Chairman of the Board, Mr. Edetaen Ojo, who is also the Executive Director of the Nigeria-based Media Rights Agenda. At the end of the two-day meeting, the Board unanimously adopted and issued this resolution.

1. The Board welcomes the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2013 of a Resolution on the Safety of Journalists and the issue of Impunity, and for proclaiming November 2, as International Day to End Impunity for crimes against journalists. The Board commends the Governments of Nigeria, Ghana and Mali for co-sponsoring the resolution along with other countries and urges the three countries to spearhead efforts to ensure the implementation of the resolution within the West Africa region, in Africa and internationally.

2. In the spirit of the UN Resolution referenced above, and the principles of the ECOWAS Protocol on Good Governance and Democracy, the Board urges ECOWAS leaders and relevant organs of ECOWAS to ensure the enforcement of the decisions of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in order to discourage acts of impunity within the region.

3. The Board further calls on the ECOWAS Commission to speed up the processes for the adoption of uniform regional legal frameworks on the right to freedom of expression and the right to information.

4. The Board recognises and highlights the importance of internet penetration, affordability and access, for the overall development of the region. Accordingly, the Board calls on national governments and regional bodies in West Africa to prioritise investment in ICTs and work collaboratively to promote internet freedom in the region.

5. Further to the above, the Board also welcomes the adoption by the UN General Assembly in December 2013 of a Resolution on “Right to Privacy in the Digital Age” wherein the General Assembly called on States “to review their procedures, practices and legislation regarding the surveillance of communications, their interception and the collection of personal data, including mass surveillance, interception and collection, with a view to upholding the right to privacy by ensuring the full and effective implementation of all their obligations under international human rights law.” The Board called on West African nations to give full effect to the Resolution.

6. The Board remains extremely concerned about the serious challenges posed by extremism, terrorism and drug trafficking to media freedom and practice in West Africa and calls on national governments and regional bodies in West Africa to work collaboratively to address the problem. The Board, on behalf of the MFWA, pledges its support for such efforts through collaborative activities, partnerships and other forms of interventions as may be required to effectively respond to these problems.

7. In the face of the numerous challenges to free expression in the region, the Board commends the Secretariat of the MFWA for its tremendous efforts in promoting free expression in West Africa, particularly its work on safety of journalists and media development in Mali and Cote d’Ivoire during the political crisis and in the ongoing democratic recovery processes in those countries.

8. The Board reiterates its deep concern about the falling standards of professionalism in media practice in many parts of the region and calls on media professional bodies and associations as well as the media community in the region as a whole, to develop and implement effective self-regulatory mechanisms to improve professional standards.

9. The Board unanimously elects Mr. Edetaen Ojo (Nigeria) as the new Chair of the MFWA Board, replacing Ms. Soyata Maiga (Mali) whose tenure has come to an end. The Board also appoints Mr. Sulemana Braimah, as Executive Director of the MFWA, following the retirement of Prof. Kwame Karikari as Executive Director of the organisation.

10. The Board highly commends Prof. Kwame Karikari for his exemplary leadership of the organisation for the past 16 years. The Board also commends Ms. Soyata Maiga, for her contribution to the organisation as Chair of the Board over the years.

11. The Board hereby approves the work plan of the organisation for 2014.

Adopted in Accra, Ghana, this Thursday, the 9th day of January, 2014.

Issued by the MFWA in Accra on January 12 , 2014

The MFWA is a regional independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Accra. It was founded in 1997 to defend and promote the rights and freedom of the media and of expression.

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Communiqué: Freedom of expression organisations in Africa come together

Vivian Affoah
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Representatives of freedom of expression organisations in Africa that are members of the Toronto-based global network, the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), met in Accra, Ghana, on December 9 and 10, 2013 to develop a framework for regional networking in Africa.

Hosted by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), the meeting was attended by six out of the nine African members of IFEX, while one other organization participated remotely, via Skype. The meeting was facilitated by Mr. Luckson Chipare, former Regional Director of the Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA) who has also previously served as IFEX Convenor (Chair).

Following two days of deliberations, the meeting decided as follows:

• To establish a regional network to be known as the African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX).

• Members of the network shall be member organizations of IFEX, which are autonomous organizations and have their headquarters located in any country in sub-Saharan Africa. Membership rights, benefits, duties and obligations shall be outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding which all members of the network shall subscribe to and endorse.

• The vision of the network is an Africa where all peoples are free to express themselves.

• The mission of the network is to increase the effectiveness of IFEX members in addressing freedom of expression challenges in Africa. Such challenges include laws and policies, traditions, customs, absence of capacity arising from ignorance, poverty and lack of access to technology; and security.

• Based on criteria agreed upon at the meeting, the MFWA shall serve as the Secretariat of the network. A hosting agreement shall be developed and agreed upon between the Network and its host organization to define roles and responsibilities as well as to guide the relationship.

• The strategies to be adopted by the network in addressing the freedom of expression challenges on the continent would include outreach, systematic sharing of information, joint campaigns, capacity enhancement activities, sustainability plans and programmes as well as research and surveys.

The meeting identified specific activities which it will carry out over the first six months of its existence and decided to develop a more elaborate plan of action for activities in the short and longer term.

Issued in Accra this 10th day of December 2013.

List of Participating Organizations:

• Professor Kwame Karikari, Executive Director, Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Accra, Ghana
• Mr. Sulemana Braimah, Deputy Executive Director, Media Foundation for West Africa. Mr. Sulemana Braimah, Deputy Executive Director, Media Foundation for West Africa.
• Ms Abigail Larbi, Programme Officer, Media Development and Capacity-Building, Media Foundation for West Africa.
• Mr. Edetaen Ojo, Executive Director, Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Lagos, Nigeria.
• Moses Magoola Ian Healy, Capacity-Building and Institutional Growth, Programme Officer, Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda (HRNJ-Uganda), Kampala, Uganda.
• Gilbert Sendugwa, Coordinator and Head of Secretariat, Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC), Kampala, Uganda.
• Zoé Titus, Regional Director, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Windhoek, Namibia.
• Tuverekwevyo Muhindo Tuver Wundi, Correspondent, Journaliste en Danger (JED-NK), Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
• Tennen Dalieh, Programme Officer, Center for Media Studies and Peace-Building, Monrovia, Liberia (participated remotely, via Skype).

For more information please contact:
Kwame Karikari (Prof)
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-0302-24 24 70
Fax: 233-0302-22 10 84

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Cote d’Ivoire ALERT: Journalist released after six hours of abduction

Vivian Affoah
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Dieusmondé Tadé, a journalist with privately-owned and pro-government newspaper, Le Nouveau Réveil was on November 18, 2013, kidnapped by unknown persons in a taxi at Cocody a suburb of Abidjan.

The MFWA’s correspondent reported that Tadé boarded a commercial taxi which already had two passengers on board. Commercial taxis in Abidjan take four passengers but as soon as the journalist sat in, the driver sped off without waiting for the fourth person.

Tadé, who found this strange and suspected he could be in danger, sent a message to his colleague, “cousin, I am in danger, I am in danger”.

His abductors snatched his mobile phone from him shortly after that and threatened to kill him if he made any noise.

The journalist was taken to Agban, about 20 kilometres from Cocody, where two men and a woman in a four wheel drive with tinted glasses were waiting. He was forced into the vehicle by his abductors who masked him.

According to the correspondent, after several kilometres, Tadé heard one of the abductors telling the rest “Chao has called, Chao says we should leave him”. They then threw him out of the car into a nearby bush. This was about 2am.

Tadé waited in the bush till morning and made his way to Gomon, about 60 kilometres from Abidjan. He then bordered a bus to Elibou where he called his family and colleagues at the Le Nouveau Réveil newspaper who later went to pick him up.

The MFWA appeals to the Ivorian Police to investigate the incidence and bring the abductors to book.

For more information please contact:
Sulemana Braimah
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra

Tel: 233-0302-24 24 70
Fax: 233-0302-22 10 84 

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Guinea ALERT: One person dead, 40 others injured for “protecting” journalist

Vivian Affoah
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One person died and 40 others sustained injuries on November 17, 2013, when police opened fire and tear gas on demonstrators who had gathered outside Planète FM a privately-owned radio station.

According to the MFWA’s correspondent in the country, the demonstrators who were believed to be pro-opposition went to the radio station’s premises after Mandjan Sidibé, director-general of Planète FM made a distress call during a programme asking listeners to come to his aid.

The correspondent reported that Sidibé told listeners there were unknown persons on motorbikes at the building in which the radio station is located and they were “getting ready to assassinate” him.Anchor

Soon after the announcement, the youth trooped to the premises of the radio station to “protect” Sidibé. The police later went to the scene and used tear gas and live bullets to disperse the demonstrators. This resulted in the death of one person and forty others injured.

Authorities have however debunked Sidibé’s allegation and accused him of inciting people to violence and that the incident will be investigated.

The MFWA is concerned about the seeming lack of tolerance by the Guinean police force whenever citizens attempt to exercise their right to assemble or demonstrate.

For more information please contact:
Sulemana Braimah
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-0302-24 24 70
Fax: 233-0302-22 10 84

Follow us on Twitter @mfwaalerts             https://twitter.com/MFWAALERTS

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Gambia ALERT: Newspaper employee detained for ‘insulting’ President Jammeh

Vivian Affoah
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Mass Kah, a messenger at the privately-owned Foroyaa newspaper was on November 14, 2013, arrested by police over allegations of denigrating and insulting Gambian President, Yahya Jammeh.

The MFWA’s sources in the country reported Kah was having a discussion with a friend infront of his home in Serekunda when two supporters of President Jammeh confronted him about his comments and reported him to the police.

 In the said discussion, Kah reportedly said Halifa Sallah, who is the leader of the opposition People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism, was “the only man who wears trousers in The Gambia”.  According to MFWA’s sources the statement was understood as meaning Sallah was more capable of leading the country than President Jammeh.

 He was arrested and detained without any charge at Serekunda police station where he was subjected to fierce interrogations and insults by police officers before being transferred to Kotu police station, about 13 kilometers southwest of the capital, Banjul.

 He is currently in the custody of the National Intelligence Agency in Banjul and has been denied access to family and friends during the past 6 days he has been in detention.

Meanwhile the Managing Editor of the Foroyaa newspaper, Sam Sarr, has said all attempts to meet with the officer in charge of Kah’s case to secure bail for him has proven futile. He said if securing bail failed, his newspaper will resort to taking legal action against the State.

The MFWA condemns the continuous detention of Kah and demands his immediate release. We call on the Gambian authorities to respect Section 19 of the country’s constitution which states that a person shall not be detained for more than 72 hours without either being granted bail or charged for court.

For more information please contact:
Sulemana Braimah
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-0302-24 24 70
Fax: 233-0302-22 10 84

Follow us on Twitter @mfwaalerts             https://twitter.com/MFWAALERTS

Visit our Facebook page                             Media Foundation for West Africa

Support Campaign for Action on ECOWAS Court Judgments

Vivian Affoah
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The usefulness of International Courts such as the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice (ECCJ) does not lie in their mere creation and existence. They are useful and influential in promoting human rights, peace and justice only when they adjudicate cases and their decisions are enforced or fully complied with by state parties.

The ECCJ has been recognised as an important arm of the ECOWAS that is capable of promoting justice and human rights and by extension peace and security in the West Africa region. Unfortunately, however, the Court’s influence, significance, and contributions to peace and security in the region has been significantly undermined by the continuous disregard of the Court’s decisions (particularly those on human rights offences) among the same governments who set up the Court.

So far, over a dozen judgments of the Court (including over a dozen human rights-related ones) have been disregarded by various Member States. While the situation undermines calls for African crimes to be tried in Africa by Africans, it also works against the realization of ECOWAS’ vision of having an ECOWAS of the people rather of states.

Also, as the ECOWAS continues to pursue peace and stability in the region, it must be emphasised that, as highlighted in the

ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework, there cannot be peace and stability in the region without an assurance of justice for community citizens whose rights are violated.

Also, at a time when there is a serious advocacy for African crimes to be tried in Africa by Africans, there can’t be a better time to strengthen the ECCJ.

The above reasons among many others underscore an ongoing campaign by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and its partners, appealing to ECOWAS Heads of States to see the non-compliance of the ECCJ’s decisions as a major impediment in the quest for peace and stability in the region.

To ensure the strengthening of the ECCJ and the consequent promotion of peace and Justice in the region, the MFWA and its partners are urging Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), human rights groups and activists, and the media in West Africa to join this campaign to appeal for a discussion and a decision on the non-compliance of the ECJJ’s judgements during the upcoming Summit of ECOWAS Heads of State in December.

Please indicate your endorsement of this appeal by sending your organisation’s name to [email protected] by November 15, 2013.

Sierra Leone UPDATE: Journalists released after 19 days in detention

Vivian Affoah
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After 19 days of prison detention, Managing Editor and Editor of the Independent Observer newspaper Messers, Jonathan Leigh and Bai Bai Sesay were granted bail on November 4, 2013 by a Freetown-Based High Court.

The granting of bail to the journalists followed a series of joint protests and appeals by the MFWA and Sierra Leone Journalists Association (SLAJ) that the two be granted bail and their rights respected.

The two journalists were admitted to bail bonds valued at 500 million Leone (about US$114,000) each. As part of the bail conditions, they were also required to have two sureties one of whom must own a house in the upper class suburb called the Western Area. Additionally, the house owner must also deposit the property title with the Registrar of the court. The two journalists have also been asked to surrender their travelling documents to the authorities.

Both Leigh and Sesay were arrested on October 18 for publishing an article deemed defamatory to Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma and detained for 6 days without charge. Following protests from rights groups including the MFWA and SLAJ, the two editors were subsequently charged with 26 counts of seditious and defamatory libel. They were taken to court on October 23 and October 29. On both occasions, their requests for bail was turned down by the court. They are to reappear in court on November 18.

The MFWA commends SLAJ for their efforts in contributing towards the release of the two journalists. While we are pleased with the release of the journalists, we appeal to the Sierra Leonean authorities to drop the charges against the journalists.

For more information please contact:
Sulemana Braimah
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-0302-24 24 70
Fax: 233-0302-22 10 84

Follow us on Twitter @mfwaalerts

Visit our Facebook page Media Foundation for West Africa

Benin ALERT: Two journalists arrested, 17 students injured in a demonstration

Vivian Affoah
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Two journalists, Elvis Tonoukouin (reporter) and Idrissou Boukary (cameraman) of privately-owned television station Canal 3 were on November 4, 2013, arrested by police for covering a demonstration at the University of Abomey-Calavi.

The MFWA’s correspondent in the country reported that the demonstration was staged by the students to protest the introduction of registration fees of 15000 CFA Francs (about US$31) by the university administration for students who wanted to register courses at two faculties during the same academic year.Anchor

The students, according to the correspondent, did not understand why the university administration was charging for the double registration when registration of courses had always been free. The authorities on the other hand said the decision was to prevent students who did not need a second registration from doing so.

The university authorities were reported to have called in the police to prevent the students from causing more damage to the school’s properties.

On arrival, the police reportedly fired tear gas and live bullets, injuring 17 students and one head of department.

Tonoukouin and Boukary, who were then filming the incident, were arrested by the police and told reporting on the demonstration would not create a good image for the school.

They were then sent to the Abomey-Calavi police station and released later that day.

 For more information please contact:
Sulemana Braimah
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-0302-24 24 70
Fax: 233-0302-22 10 84

Follow us on Twitter @mfwaalerts             https://twitter.com/MFWAALERTS

Visit our Facebook page                               Media Foundation for West Africa

Sierra Leone UPDATE: Journalists released after 19 days in detention

Vivian Affoah
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0

After 19 days of prison detention, Managing Editor and Editor of the Independent Observer newspaper Messers, Jonathan Leigh and Bai Bai Sesay were granted bail on November 4, 2013 by a Freetown-Based High Court.

The granting of bail to the journalists followed a series of joint protests and appeals by the MFWA and Sierra Leone Journalists Association (SLAJ) that the two be granted bail and their rights respected.

The two journalists were admitted to bail bonds valued at 500 million Leone (about US$114,000) each. As part of the bail conditions, they were also required to have two sureties one of whom must own a house in the upper class suburb called the Western Area. Additionally, the house owner must also deposit the property title with the Registrar of the court. The two journalists have also been asked to surrender their travelling documents to the authorities.

Both Leigh and Sesay were arrested on October 18 for publishing an article deemed defamatory to Sierra Leonean President Ernest Bai Koroma and detained for 6 days without charge. Following protests from rights groups including the MFWA and SLAJ, the two editors were subsequently charged with 26 counts of seditious and defamatory libel. They were taken to court on October 23 and October 29. On both occasions, their requests for bail was turned down by the court. They are to reappear in court on November 18.

The MFWA commends SLAJ for their efforts in contributing towards the release of the two journalists. While we are pleased with the release of the journalists, we appeal to the Sierra Leonean authorities to drop the charges against the journalists.

For more information please contact:
Sulemana Braimah
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-0302-24 24 70
Fax: 233-0302-22 10 84

Follow us on Twitter @mfwaalerts

Visit our Facebook page Media Foundation for West Africa

Sierra Leone UPDATE: Detained journalists refused bail again

Vivian Affoah
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0

The Managing Editor and Editor of the privately-owned Independent Observer newspaper Jonathan Leigh and Bai Bai Sesay were on October 29, 2013, again refused bail by a Freetown-based Magistrate Court.

The two journalists who have been charged with 26 counts of seditious and defamatory libel, have spent 13 days in detention since they were arrested on October 18, for publishing an article deemed defamatory to Sierra Leonean President, Ernest Bai Koroma. The case has been adjourned to November 4.

Meanwhile the Sierra Leone Journalists Association (SLAJ) on October 29, embarked on a media blackout to protest the continuous detention of Leigh and Sesay.

 According to SLAJ president, Kelvin Lewis, out of the over 40 newspapers published daily, only two were published on that day. The two were the Awareness Times published by the Special Executive Assistant to President Koroma, Dr. Sylvia Blyden and the Standard Times published by one Philip Neville.

 Again, out of the over 60 radio stations nationwide, only the state owned Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) and Star Radio, also owned by Neville, did not take part in the blackout.

 Lewis also told MFWA that if the journalists were not released, the media will boycott all government functions and deny the government space in their newspapers or radio stations.

 The MFWA condemns the continuous detention of Leigh and Sesay and calls on President Koroma to demonstrate his commitment to press freedom by ordering the release of the journalists.

For more information please contact:
Kwame Karikari (Prof)
Executive Director
MFWA
Accra
Tel: 233-0302-24 24 70
Fax: 233-0302-22 10 84

Follow us on Twitter @mfwaalerts             https://twitter.com/MFWAALERTS

Visit our Facebook page                               Media Foundation for West Africa

‘Climate Change In Africa: A Guidebook For Journalists’

Vivian Affoah
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0

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has published a climate change guidebook for African journalists to help them in their reporting on climatic issues in Africa. The guidebook entitled ‘Climate Change in Africa: A Guidebook for Journalists’ was launched at a workshop held at the UN Complex in Gigiri, Kenya from October 22 to 23 2013. The workshop participants were drawn from Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

According to UNESCO programme specialist responsible for the project and editor of the publication, Mr. Fackson Banda, “This guidebook is part of UNESCO’s overall effort to raise awareness of the interdisciplinary core of climate change, and how journalists can reflect it in their practices.”

He went further to say: “At the heart of this publication is a push for the type of climate expertise needed to resonate with African journalists and journalism educators – two important constituents for our work on capacity-building for specialized journalistic literacies.”

The guidebook is written by four media experts who linked climate change and journalistic practice within the context of African realities. They are Mr. Mike Shanahan and Ms Teresa Corcoran of the International Institute for Environment and Development, and Mr. Willie Shubert and Mr. Cameron Scherer of Internews/Earth Journalism Network.

The lead author of the guidebook, Mr. Shanahan said: “climate change is not the story – it is the context in which so many other stories will unfold….We will affect every beat of journalism, from politics and business reporting to consumer and health stories. African journalists and their editors should not see climate change as ‘just an environment’ issue but as a new reality that will create growing demand from audiences for comprehensive, clear and locally-relevant coverage.”

Mr. James Fahn, Executive Director of Internews, while speaking about the involvement of Internews in the project said: “The great challenge for journalists is to learn how to turn this global issue into a local story their audiences can relate to … or rather, how to turn it into many stories. The all-encompassing nature of climate change lends itself to reporting from a multitude of angles, reflecting its impact on so many facets of society, the economy and life in general.”

Leading up to the publication was a workshop held in Kenya at which 23 African experts, including academics and journalists, took time to review the initial draft of the guidebook. Namibian journalism educator, Ms Emily Brown, highlighted how the media in her country tended to bury climate change and environmental stories in the back pages, and urged journalists to take part in re-setting the agenda.

Mr. Bonny Alams, a Nigerian journalist said while contributing to the discussion that “For us to achieve [such] reportage, we must work to change people’s perception of the daily consumption of what Nigerians refer to us ‘juicy’ stories that revolve under political, economic and social life”.

Professor Workineh Kelbessa of Addis Ababa University stressed issues of ethics and environmental justice as part of the interdisciplinary core of climate change journalism. He emphasized the need to correlate the environment and humanity, and said that the manuscript needed to reflect the link between indigenous knowledge and science.

The finalised guidebook is an information resource to be used in both the newsroom and classroom, and will be distributed in a strategic partnership involving UNESCO, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and Internews.

A series of Google Hangouts will be spread out across the whole of February to raise interest amongst African journalists and others interested in a deeper understanding of reporting climate change prevention and mitigation.

Within UNESCO, the guidebook scores a first: it is one of the first two publications to be published under the Organization’s new Open Access policy. This means that users of this publication have terms for use and re-use of the publication, as spelled out in the UNESCO Open Access Repository.

Source: Media Rights Agenda

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