Abdijan's Al Bayane shows how peace journalism is done
(ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST)--21 journalists from the Sahel region of Africa have gathered here in Ivory Coast to discuss “Strengthening the Role of Media in Countering Violent Extremism.”

The five day workshop, featuring journalists from Mauritania, Mali, Chad, Ivory Coast (Cote D’Ivoire in French), Morocco, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Algeria, and Niger, began yesterday.

For peace journalists, the highlight of the workshop so far was the serendipitous discovery of a devotee of peace journalism right here in Abidjan called Al Bayane radio/TV. We met today with CEO Imam Cisse Guidiba, who shared with the group his vision to make Al Bayane a “social force” in Ivory Coast and indeed throughout Africa.  Though his station is Islamic in nature, he said it serves all communities across societal divisions with what Imam Guidiba called “a good message” of fraternity and respect that contributes to the development of society. Sounds like textbook peace journalism to me.

Imam Guidiba, as interviewed by workshop participants

During our visit, Imam Guidiba also addressed the issue of Islam and violence, strongly stating that violence has no part of Islam. He said extremism is based on ignorance—a lack of knowledge that Al
Bayane radio/TV is designed to combat.

Earlier today, I led a discussion about trauma reporting, offering advice on how to report about traumas while respecting victims’ rights. Trainer/journalist Tatiana Mossot followed with a presentation on how journalists can deal with the trauma they have experienced, including PTSD, in the conduct of their jobs. Statistically, 13-15% of journalists suffer PTSD, she said, comparable to PTSD in first responders. The Sahel journalists shared words that describe how they’ve felt after covering traumatic events—crimes, disasters, terrorist attacks, etc. These words included: pain, anger, abandonment, weakness, guilty, powerless, frustration, stress, surprise, justice, compassion, and worry. Participants shared their experiences in reporting traumatic events, including seeing bodies. Mossot recommended that the journalists get in touch with their feelings, and not hesitate to ask for help. Day two also featured presentations on deepfakes and fact checking.

Monday
On the first day of the workshop, journalists fanned out into Abidjan to conduct man-on-the-street interviews asking about security at the upcoming 2023 Africa Cup in Abidjan. These interviews revealed a reluctance to discuss security, especially when compared to football. People are conscious of security, one interviewee said, but they don’t want to feel paranoid. The public knows there’s a threat, observed another journalist, but they are optimistic that all will go well. A third journalist noted that the people she interviewed seem much more interested in everyday crime than terrorist attacks at the Africa Cup.

Day 1 discussion: Terrorism in the Sahel region

The first day of the workshop began with a discussion about how violent extremism is covered in media in their respective countries. The journalists told stories about the obstacles they faced from governments (propaganda, dearth of information), international media outlets, and social media. We also discussed the importance of reporting about the causes of (why and how youth are radicalized) and solutions for terrorism.

Presentations on Monday also included valuable information about the range, extent, and players (Al Qaeda, Islamic State, Boko Haram, etc.) involved in terrorism in Africa generally, West Africa, and the Lake Chad area, where the remoteness, low education, ineffective or even absence of governance, and poverty of the region provide ripe ground for radicalizing youth. Climate change, which has led to the dramatic shrinking of Lake Chad, was also discussed as a driver of instability and thus, violent extremism.

The workshop, underwritten by the U.S. Embassy-Algiers and administered by Equal Access International, will continue Wednesday through Friday this week.