Recent studies show that the fragility of many African states has been “an incubator of violent extremism” activity, especially in the East Africa Region. Experts point to the porous borders of the area that enable terrorist groups to move relatively freely across different states, fuelling regional insecurity.

To address the issue, this week, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Centre of Excellence for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (ICEPCV) with support from the Government of Denmark, is conducting a regional media forum for seasoned print, broadcast, and online video and radio, journalists based in Djibouti, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, and Sudan, who were invited to participate.

The forum kicked off on Tuesday morning at the IGAD Centre for Excellence when representatives from the EU and the US addressed the 30 journalists, media practitioners, and others in the audience.

Accurate reporting

“Through the stories that you select, you can show the negative impact of extremist false narratives, hate speech, and prejudice,” said the US Ambassador to Djibouti, Jonathan Pratt, as he defined the role that the media has in reporting stories of ‘violent extremism”. 

“Current regional challenges posed by violent extremism have increased the need for an evidence-based understanding of how communities can respond to such threats. Media strategies can help, but the trust and credibility of information providers are crucial, “he said.

Reporting challenges

The goal of the ICEPCV workshop is to provide an opportunity to build “a community of professionals to do the important and difficult work of keeping the public informed of events in the region. 

Ambassador Pratt added that “misinformation, disinformation, and the availability on social media of a wide range of voices with varying agendas make today’s information environment challenging.  We have to look no further than Ukraine to see the dangerous influence of false information. “

Throughout the forum, journalists and media practitioners from the IGAD region were exposed to examples of how violent extremist groups are utilising media platforms to advance their agenda and learned how the extremist tactics differ from how the news media utilises and reports information.

The EU Ambassador to Djibouti, Aidan O’Hara said in his opening comments, “Violent extremism is insidious. It is here in the Horn of Africa and we are trying to cope with it in Europe. I don’t envy the role of the media in trying to navigate this issue. “Journalists are often caught in the middle under pressure from extremists to disseminate their poisonous messages and are attacked by the same people if they try to resist”

ICEPCVE says, that media, timely, information sharing, and literacy training activities such as social media, literacy programmes are important tools for “effectively Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism. Media practitioners must regularly review how they take on their duties to ensure they maintain high levels of professionalism”

To that end, the program agenda explored the trends in coverage of violent extremism stories by media practitioners in the region. Breakout sessions were then designated to assist journalists and media practitioners, developing comprehensive, checklists best on best practices” and expediting the release of accurate information when covering incidents of violent extremism in the IGAD region.

The forum continues through today.  Organizers say a checklist will be published from the there day conference and shared through the IGAD Centre’s communication platforms