“Citizen Journalism and content creation in the digital age”. This was the theme chosen by the Cameroon Association of English-Speaking Journalists, CAMASEJ Yaounde chapter for a training workshop organized as part of the week-long activities marking the 31st edition of World Press Freedom Day 2026 in Cameroon celebrated on May 3, under the theme “Shaping a future at peace.”

The workshop which benefited from the partnerships of UNESCO, Civic Watch and Camer Today News Project took place at the Civic watch head office in Yaounde on May 9, 2026. The event was nothing short of interesting as it constituted a panoply of in-house experts that joined guest speakers to edify their peers. With the presence of communication experts, media professionals and Journalists, the over 30 participants at the workshop gained a lots as they had a broader and wider understanding on Citizen Journalism and Digital Communication.

Launching the series of presentations, the CAMASEJ Yaounde chapter president Ajumane Francis gave an overview of the media ecosystem, characterized by the presence of citizen Journalists and media professionals on the digital space.

Axel Rod Elobo, Digital Marketing and Content Creator trainer, taught the participants how to navigate the digital space which offers them more visibility and incites credibility which comes with opportunities. He encouraged participants to make sure they have an added value to the information they give out online unlike others who are seen as influencer and most often for the wrong reason. Axel advised that before a Journalist goes online, they must have a particular niche and be consistent in the online presence. The participants equally received basic knowledge on community management which will enable them get a hold of how to manage their various media handles.

More insights between technology and Journalism was given by Giyo Ndzi, Communication officer at Paradigm Initiative. He advised journalists to ensure they have a proper personal security system for themselves. The communication officer advised they prioritize platform mastery over online presence. He called on the participants to avoid using their personal emails for professional tasks, they should constantly change passwords, activate two-factor authentication, protect their sources and avoid as much as possible the use of public Wi-Fi networks.

“You have to know about these threats and protect yourself. You have to understand how to keep safe as a journalist,” he recommended.

With Artificial Intelligence changing the narrative of how things are being done , the media practitioners were drilled on the various AI tools that are important for journalists in the exercise of their task and how well they can make good use of it. Among the tools necessary for journalists is Claude AI which is a tool that permits journalists navigate around texts, audios, images and videos. They were drilled on this aspect by Hervé Tiwa, Executive Director of Med.IA lab.

To be able to give the right information, the facts must be clear. Getting the facts right and differentiating it from fiction was another module that was dished out to the participants. It was handled by Laure Nganlay from Civic Association.

At the end of the workshop, participants expressed satisfaction and gratitude towards the organization of the workshop which gave them a wider understanding of how they could make good use of AI while remaining professional and giving out the facts both on conventional media as well as digital space.

Amongst the participants was the National President of CAMASEJ who attended the workshop as a member of the Yaounde chapter. He commended the Yaoundé Chapter for a milestone event that successfully advanced the association’s core objective of capacity building by helping journalists align with rapidly evolving technologies like AI. He emphasized the importance of leveraging digital tools to ease journalistic work while remaining firmly grounded in traditional values, noting the significance of both external expertise and the “in-house sourcing” of knowledgeable members.

At the close of the celebration of WPFD 2026, one could say the set objectives of the training were attained as the journalists and media professionals were empowered to fight against fake news, mis/dis/mal information, understand AI, master basic digital and social media tools in reporting and also being able to fact-check for the right information.