Journalists in Cameroon have been schooled on various skills that are inherent to human rights reporting and press freedom. This thanks to a symposium organized by the Cameroon Association of English-Speaking Journalists – CAMASEJ, in partnership with the United Nations Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Central Africa – UNCHRD-CA.
The event that took place on May 4, within the premises of the UNCHRD-CA is part of activities marking the celebration of the 34th edition of World Press Freedom Day.
Attended by Journalists from different media outlets; print, audio, audio visual and multimedia, the symposium edified the participants on three major axes notably; challenges faced by Journalists in Cameroon (including in the digital space), safety and protection of media professionals, and the role of a free and independent press in peacebuilding.
Amandeh Blaise Atabong, Secretary General of CAMASEJ one of the speakers drilled the participants on the various means by which they can exercise their duty of reporting while making sure they are in accordance with the legal and regulatory law, paying attention to digital trends and surveillance. A good number of challenges faced by professiomals in the media and digital space were pointed out amongst which poor working conditions, economic challenges, lack of training and gender specific challenges. Situations which hinder the efficient practice of their profession.
Drawing inspiration from the experiences that were shared by various journalists who witnessed the crisis in the North and South West regions and the Far North, Kiven Fonyuy, Programmes Officer at UNCHRD-CA urged the participants to make sure they stay first and foremost safe in the exercise of their profession because a good journalist is one who is alive to tell the story.
Dr Evelyne Mengue A Koung emphasized on the point.
“We are the first safety keepers of ourselves. We should prepare ourselves and understand our environment”, she said.
Kiven used the opportunity to give out some safety tips which journalists must follow especially when covering a crisis or protest manifestation inorder to stay safe. He also pointed out the fact that practitioners need to know what information is fit for consumption by its listeners or audience as not all true and factual information is fit for broadcast.
Speaking at the workshop, the CAMASEJ National President Jude Viban applauded the CAMASEJ Yaounde chapter under its president Ajumane francis for the initiative while stating that the group is transitioning into a proactive think tank focused on human rights and the creation of a dedicated press club for critical thinking. By fostering synergy between organizations like the SNJC and UPF, the participants emphasized that internal solidarity and collective action are the greatest tools for improving the industry and ensuring these collaborative efforts extend to journalists across all regions.
Understanding the difference between war journalism and peace journalism was another crucial lesson that was given to the attendees. In a world that is characterized by unrest, it is the role of the Journalist to communicate effectively and efficiently in order not to spur up violence.
The symposium ended with a whole lot of recommendations made by the professionals geared towards ensuring that they thrive in a peaceful environment.
