In March 2022, CFC Big Ideas conducted a series of workshops for local journalists in 4 different countries: Cameroon, Benin, Niger and Mali. The three-day, hands-on training workshops covered the following topics:
The training provided participants with knowledge and skills allowing for further successful multimedia production, as well as practical experience using various production software (PowerPoint, Adobe, and more). They also gained a better understanding of the theory of conflict, specifically how individuals and groups move from tension or opposition to open conflict to violence. Moreover, the training improved participants’ knowledge on the working environment, safety, and security of reporters. They also studied best ethical practices and standards in fact-checking and fighting fake news. This practical knowledge will now allow the participants to detect and appropriately interpret ambiguous information or potentially biased sources.
In arranging the workshops, CFC specialists successfully executed all necessary pre-training preparations, despite being faced with political and cultural challenges. CFC communicated with the speakers, negotiated with local subcontractors, booked hotels and venues to host the events. The CFC team conducted this coordination remotely in both English and French. According to the surveys conducted after each workshop, all participants remained highly satisfied by the training’s quality and asked to be included in future similar projects.
