Beginning the year in grand style, members of the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists – CAMASEJ Bamenda branch are taking part at the maiden edition of the North West Media Forum ongoing in Bamenda.

Organized by CAMASEJ, Bamenda Chapter, the two-day forum, to run from January 15–16 is creating a platform for dialogue, reflection and action around journalism in the North West.

Taking place under the theme; “Reviving the Media: Reclaiming dignity, rebuilding journalism, renewing hope”, the forum has as focus, improving the working conditions of Journalists, defending their rights to press freedom, promoting responsible reporting in a conflict-affected region, and exploring a collective social security framework for journalists.

The forum’s opening session witnessed a high-level attendance, including representatives from the Governor’s office, the National CAMASEJ executive, and student journalists, all committed to rebuilding the dignity of the profession as the two day event continues.

The Regional Delegate of Communication, Njike Celestine, personal representative of the Minister of Communication, lauded the association for charting a common path. He acknowledged the industry’s “open wounds,” specifically highlighting the low working conditions and the total lack of employment contracts for many journalists.

He equally emphasized that the forum’s outcomes would be instrumental in “reshaping the media sector in the region” and noted that the gathering sets the pace for an eventual national forum to discuss the roles and conditions of journalists across Cameroon.

The CAMASEJ National President Viban Jude while talking from a national perspective,  described the forum as a timely response to the “ongoing imbroglio” in the region. He pointed to the “unsafe working conditions and precarious finances” that leave many reporters vulnerable. The National President urged practitioners to prioritize collaboration over internal conflict.

“Embrace working together and not working to destroy the efforts of one another,” Viban Jude stated while insisting that media professionals must, “be humble in the discharge of their duties.”

CAMASEJ Bamenda chapter President Nsah Terence, characterized the event as the fulfillment of a long-held dream that many skeptics believed would never materialize. He stressed that the forum arrives at a critical moment in the electoral period, where the media must act as a vanguard against hate speech and xenophobia.

On the agenda were a series of panel discussions. The first panel discussion that had as panelist Fung John, Mbuh Stella, Muma Jude, and Clenince Ayombong focused on hate speech and xenophobia, examining these vices and how they can be countered in an election year, and in journalism practices. The session was moderated by Nimpa Francis.

The second panel discussion, moderated by Maikem Emmanuella, focused on the poor working conditions of journalists, the risks of reporting in a crisis-hit environment, and the daily struggles media practitioners face. The session brought together Omer Songwe, Wanchia Cynthia, George Etoh, and Charles Tembei who shared their real-life experiences working in the North West Region and the tough realities that shape the media landscape.

Despite these challenges, the panel urged journalists to uphold professionalism and ethical standards at all times. They also called on media owners to find sustainable ways to generate revenue and properly pay their staff, stressing that better welfare leads to better, more credible journalism.

The third panel animated by Ruth Che Wachong focused on the Economic Viability of the Media – an in-depth analysis of declining advertising revenues, shifting audiences, and digital disruption, alongside emerging business models. Members of the panel included Nde Richard Lajong, Anyi Collins, Ndi Tsembom Elvis, Bassang Victory, and Abongwa Fozo.

Present at this forum from the nation’s political capital alongside the National President was the Secretary General Blaise Amindeh Atabong,  Public Relation Officer Wanchia Cynthia and Civic Watch Publisher Ndi Eugene Ndi, who expressed satisfaction as to the holding of the first-ever North West Media Forum.