The technology facility is said to help automate and reduce the work of editors by 9% and the work of the reporter by 15%, but it also seems to be harmful to the profession, as ICT professionals underline with namely the web-defacement cyberattack or fake news.

Journalism has been transformed in recent years with the introduction and development of artificial intelligence. This was particularly observed in its aid to transcribe interviews, flag misinformation, enhance reporting and automate writing through AI information.

But according to the representative of Cameroon’s National ICT Agency, General Manager, Ngwaibi Afuh, describing the opening of the company’s capacity building programme, its development has triggered a new form of crime known as cybercrime: “Cybercrime has emerged as one of the newest and most challenging forms of crime due to its complexity and ability to mutate …”.

Cybercriminality says the professional appears in several forms like fraud, identity theft, web defacement and fake news. Statistics show that more than thirty Cameroonian public administrations have recently registered this attack concerning web defacement. Fake news, on the other hand, is a deliberately misleading information or disinformation that is spread as news with the intention of damaging the reputation of a person by misleading public opinion.

In order to combat this phenomenon, Cameroon’s national ICT agency is providing journalists with technical expertise in the development of fact-checking. This, the institution says, will help detect and counter the spread of fake news. The institution also outlines solutions such as cyber security chains, awareness campaigns and training of ICT users. “I would like to reiterate that for the fight against cybercrime to be effective, all stakeholder groups need to come on board particularly media organs, journalists and the public at large. By working in synergy and taking proactive steps, we can reduce the risks of Cybercrime and protect ourselves from its devastating consequences.” Ngwainbi Afuh Percy