Sahel journalists inspire. Also, more pain au chocolat, please
I’ve never felt as good about an event as I do today in the afterglow of a stimulating workshop last week for 21 journalists from the Sahel region of Africa. We gathered in Abidjan, Ivory Coast for a week long workshop to discuss “Strengthening the Role of Media in Countering Violent Extremism.”

My positivity can be described in three words—fraternité (to borrow a term from my French colleagues), determination, and relief.

Fraternité: In the last two years, I’ve given dozens of online workshops and lectures, and they have been uniformly adequate. We all did the best we could with the online format. However, this in-person workshop was a stark reminder that face-to-face interaction can’t be duplicated on Zoom. The participants, from Mauritania, Mali, Chad, Ivory Coast (Cote D’Ivoire in French), Morocco, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Algeria, and Niger, immediately and strongly bonded. There were some serious discussions, of course, but many of their interactions featured laughter. At the end of the workshop, one participant told the group that “we have created our own family.” Indeed, many of their end-of-workshop comments featured the word family—a development that would've been impossible if we had only met online.

Determination: I leave the workshop truly inspired by the grit, courage, and determination of the participants. I’ve lectured in many troubled places like Kashmir and South Sudan, but nowhere I’ve been are journalists faced with such daunting challenges. Journalists in the Sahel have to stare down Al Qaida or Boko Haram; repressive government officials; and menacing police and army representatives. Add to this suffocating poverty and Covid-19, and finish it off with climate change manifested in the shrinking of Lake Chad, which has always been the source for water, irrigation, and food for millions in the region. The lake has shrunk by 90% since the 1960’s, according to the UN, creating unimaginable misery.

One can’t help but be encouraged and energized by the journalists' stubborn insistence on making their countries and regions a better place, despite the hurdles.

Relief—It is an indescribable relief to finally get back out there in the field teaching peace journalism. It was exhilarating being there in person. I loved chatting with the Sahel journalists. We held many memorable visits over breakfast, lunch, or tea about their countries and our collective hopes and dreams. I saw delightful pictures of their kids.

Oh, and the food in Ivory Coast was spectacular, especially the seafood and pastries. I could eat a pain au chocolat (a croissant-like pastry stuffed with chocolate) every day for the rest of my life.

I still feel relief being back on the road there even though Covid-era travel has become nightmarish, with Q-Tips up my nose (WAY UP), countless forms to fill out, and lengthy question and answer sessions at airline ticket counters, soul-crushing places where time actually moves backwards. My trip home was 29 hours door to door. Still, I can’t wait to do this all over again soon, perhaps in Nigeria and/or Pakistan this year.

See you out there. For my visit, please stock up on the pain au chocolat.

 

 

 

 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.

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.

Ivory Coast PJ project set to get underway
Abidjan, Ivory Coast)—I’ve seldom been as anxious to start a workshop as I am this one.

First, the topic,  “Strengthening the Role of Media in Countering Violent Extremism,” is fascinating, as is the fact that the week-long event will feature journalists from throughout this region. Journalists from Mauritania, Mali, Chad, Ivory Coast (Cote D’Ivoire in French), Morocco, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Algeria, and Niger are participating. The project is sponsored by the U.S. Embassy-Algeria, and administered by Equal Access International. I am the lead instructor.

We’ve been “meeting” on Zoom twice a week since last fall, discussing peace journalism, storytelling, and the unique challenges faced by reporters in this region. 

Second, it’s been two years since I’ve been in the field working. Sure, I’ve done Zoom seminars and lectures about peace journalism for participants from around the world, and it’s been fine—certainly better than nothing. But there’s no substitute for handshakes, spontaneous comments and jokes, and chats about life, work, and family over lunch or an adult beverage.

We start tomorrow. Stay tuned to this space for updates and photos. I also plan to produce an audio story, time permitting. We’ll talk soon.

 

 My first tweet as a post. Enjoy!

Webinar provides unique perspective on hate speech
It’s increasingly difficult to practice peace journalism in a media landscape saturated with hate speech. That’s why I decided to go back to school this week to dig a little deeper into the subject.

Wednesday, the GWU Media and Peacebuilding Project and Project Over Zero sponsored a webinar, “Potentials and limits of strategies to redefine hate speech.” Speakers Iginio Gagliardone  and Matti Pohjonen, both professors, discussed their study of hate speech on Facebook in Ethiopia.

There has been extensive media coverage in the US about how Facebook has stoked ethnic violence in Ethiopia during the last year (NPR and CNN, for example). In contrast, the Gagliardone/Pohjonen study conducted in 2015 before the current conflict, showed very little hate speech. They looked at 1055 popular Ethiopian Facebook pages, and found that only 2.2% contained offensive, hate, or dangerous speech. The speakers noted, and I agree, that the same study conducted today would have drastically different findings, given the incendiary nature of the current Tigray conflict.

Especially interesting was how the research team defined hate speech for the purposes of their study. Their study analyzed and coded for “statements that go against” (attacking, malice, threat; conflict producing/maintaining) and “statements that go toward” (initiate, build, maintain relationship; offers info about discussion; creates engagement). See chart for a further breakdown of these elements. (Click on chart to expand and get a closer look).

These frames are fascinating, and potentially useful in other contexts. It will be interesting to give this framework to students who can then use it to conduct their own content analysis studies.

Finally, it was notable that the study authors chose to examine hate speech vis-à-vis an imbalance of power between speakers and target, asking, “Does the group being targeted have a means to defend itself?” The response to this question is vitally important, since it speaks to the practical impact of hateful messages.

Call for Papers--The Peace Journalist magazine

The Peace Journalist, a semi-annual magazine produced by the Center for Global Peace Journalism at Park University, is seeking submissions for its April 2022 edition. Submissions should be 500-1500 words, and address peace journalism/peace media research and projects. Please also submit photos, if possible. We do not run articles about general peace projects or processes unless they have a strong media component/angle.

The deadline for submission is March 4. However, the magazine is already filling up quickly, so if you plan to submit for this deadline, please do so as soon as possible. Submit all materials to steve.youngblood@park.edu.

The previous edition of The Peace Journalist can be found at https://www.park.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/peace-journalist-oct-2021.pdf .

Thank you!