by ELIUD KIBII
Friday May 5, 2023
National Union of Somali Journalists secretary general Omar Faruk Osman and MCK chief executive during a media conference at the Sarova Stanley in Nairobi. Image: MCK
The media holds a challenging role as informers of society amid increasing efforts by extremists to use their channels to spread their destructive narratives, Australia High Commissioner to Kenya Luke William has said.
Williams said Australia is committed to collaborating with its Eastern African partners to promote peace and stability in the region, the reason they are supporting initiatives contributing to the prevention of violent extremism and terrorism.
The High Commissioner spoke on the second day of the Australian-supported media conference focusing on preventing violent extremism and terrorism the first of its kind in Eastern Africa.
The meeting coincided with World Press Freedom Day.
Thirty journalists from across Kenya, Somalia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sudan, and South Sudan attended the media conference in Nairobi.
It was organised by the National Union of Somali Journalists and hosted by the Kenya Union of Journalists in Nairobi, Kenya, to discuss and reflect on the role of the media in countering negative narratives of violence and terrorism in the Eastern Africa region.
It also allowed journalists and other media stakeholders to deepen conversations on fostering professional, ethical, and safe reporting on violent extremism and terrorism, “as part of the broader positive counter-terrorism communication and response (CT Response+).
Earlier, on the first day of the conference, Media Council of Kenya Kenya CEO David Omwoyo urged media players to embrace collaborative approaches to counter violent extremism in the region.
Omwoyo further warned that media can contribute to terrorism through sensationalism, propaganda and divisive media coverage.
“The role of media countering violent extremism is extremely important. We are practising journalism in an era where there are many challenges. We must reflect on how to address these challenges collectively,” the chief media regulator said.
Invoking MCK’s regulatory mandate, Omwoyo urged the media to adhere to legislation and ethical provisions that govern the free press to be accountable for disseminating information about violent extremism.
“The media has a delicate balance between informing and educating. If not carefully addressed, it would lead to a lot of confusion among their audiences. This is especially crucial in matters as sensitive as violent extremism and terrorism,” Omwoyo added.
On his part, National Union of Somali Journalists secretary general Omar Faruk Osman said journalists and media houses play a vital role in informing the public on the operationalisation, implementation, and monitoring of national, regional, and international strategies for preventing violent extremism and countering negative narratives of violence and terrorism.
“NUSOJ advocates preventing and countering violent extremism strategies, especially those developed by the governments, to prioritise the role of the media in P/CV, as they are uniquely placed to ensure that communication priorities are firmly rooted in media practice,” Osman said.
According to the Council of Europe, journalists and other media professionals have recently faced significant challenges when covering repeated terror attacks, even as new dynamics of terrorism emerge and social and digital media use increases.
According to the CoE brief, journalists and other media actors have a responsibility to disseminate comprehensive information on terrorist acts and potential threats and avoid sensationalist media reports that would lead to the spread of public terror, fear and chaos.
Regarding the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day, High Commissioner Williams said it celebrates the principles of press freedom, evaluates press freedom around the world, defends the media from attacks on their independence and pays tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession.
“Australia strongly supports freedom of expression, including media freedom and the safety of journalists, and actively advocates for these in bilateral and multilateral forums,” he said in the statement.
It was also announced that NUSOJ will host a three-day photojournalism workshop in Mogadishu, Somalia, from May 16-18, 2023, in partnership with the Australian High Commission, Kenya.
Other than technical training, participants will receive mentorship from three experienced journalists including internationally recognised and award-winning Australian photographer, Adam Ferguson; British/Somali filmmaker and photographer Said Fadhaye; and Somali-Australian journalist, Najma Sambul.