Journalists process reporting trip to attack site
ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST—The longer I spend with these 21 journalists from the Sahel region of Africa, the more I admire their determination and professionalism, both of which were on display during our second field trip this week.

We’ve gathered here for a week long workshop to discuss “Strengthening the Role of Media in Countering Violent Extremism.”

This field exercise was on Wednesday. Participants bussed to nearby Grand Bassam, a city of 100,000 that has seen its share of troubles the last six years. First, 19 were killed in a terrorist attack in the vicinity of a beach hotel in 2016. Then, Covid devastated Grand Bassam’s economy because the community, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, depends heavily on tourism. (France24)

In Grand Bassam, they interviewed four survivors of the attack, including the owner of a café where the terrorists struck. The interviewees detailed what they saw, and were obviously still traumatized by the attack. The journalists were then tasked with writing a story using their interviews, but also tapping into their impressions of their experiences in Grand Bassam.

The day after the field trip, the journalists gave their impressions about the experience. One said “the emotion is still there,” a sentiment echoed by many. Another lamented that the survivors never received any psychological counseling, and that their trauma is as raw as the day of the attack. “The survivors are not psychologically strong,” the journalist observed.

Other class sessions yesterday and today included a presentation from Andrew Caulk, public information director for the U.S. special operations command in Africa. He talked about the importance of context in countering violent extremism. He said building credibility as a journalist is also vital in “degrading violent extremists trying to make people afraid.” Caulk added that more information about terrorism threats actually makes populations less fearful, since this info helps them feel empowered to address these threats and make themselves safe.

Trainer Nicolas Pinault then discussed countering violent extremist messaging and toxic narratives. The participants gave examples of mis and disinformation from their countries, including faux reports about an illicit impregnation, a French drone being shot down, and Ivorians being beaten in Niger. Pinault also presented six types of ideological arguments used by extremists to justify their cause and to recruit. These arguments include injustice themes, us. vs. them, articulating a non-human common enemy, etc. The next day, I followed up on these six arguments, and the journalists and I brainstormed topics for counternarrative stories to refute extremists’ arguments.

On Thursday, journalist participant Hamat Ali Mouta talked about his community radio station (RNI Radio) in Ndarason in the Lake Chad basin, a distressed area that has been the site of attacks from the terrorist organization Boko Haram. Mouta talked about the lack of infrastructure there, including schools, as a factor fueling violent extremism. Other factors leading to extremism in the region, according to Mouta, include unemployment, injustice, and climate change, which has drastically shrunk Lake Chad.

The workshop has been underwritten by the U.S. Embassy-Algiers and administered by Equal Access International.

On Monday, I will reflect on our experiences here in Ivory Coast. There is much to process.