On 9 and 10 December in Bonn, Germany, Fondation Hirondelle co-organized two major events in the humanitarian and media development sectors with Deutsche Welle Akademie and the CDAC Network: the Annual Symposium of the Media and Development Forum (FoME) and the CDAC Network Public Forum.
How can we respond to the funding crisis facing public service media? How can we defend the safety and rights of journalists in the field? What role does reliable information play in humanitarian response? What synergies exist between media development and emergency aid? Over two days, international experts in journalism, humanitarian action and media development exchanged and debated these issues.
During FoME, this year dedicated to media financing, Fondation Hirondelle delivered a clear message: a media outlet’s impact depends on the trust it earns. Trust is built through professional, independent and local journalism. To inform the discussions, Sacha Meuter, Head of Research and Policy, and Jacqueline Dalton, Editorial Director, co-authored an article highlighting the essential role of local journalism in conflict prevention.
During the CDAC Public Forum on 10 December, themed “Information in Crisis”, Ouboulè Abalo, Fondation Hirondelle’s national representative in the Central African Republic (CAR), stressed in a Lightning Talk that, in times of crisis, a trusted local media fulfils two key roles: informing communities about access to aid, their rights, available services and risks; and relaying their difficulties, misunderstandings and frustrations so that decision-makers and humanitarian actors can adapt their response.
Finally, during a Gallery Walk, Radio Ndeke Luka (RNL), a Fondation Hirondelle media outlet, was highlighted for its role as a public interest media serving trust and social cohesion in the Central African Republic. Sacha Meuter and Ouboulè Abalo underlined its essential role in opening daily spaces for dialogue, giving voice to all Central Africans.
These two days therefore sent a clear message to decision-makers and donors: supporting local journalism is more crucial than ever.
Photographs : Ayse Tasci/DW