In the countries of the south-west Indian Ocean, tensions and a loss of confidence have, over the last twenty years or so, distanced the media from the institutions. The Governance, Peace and Stability project, led by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) and financed by the French Development Agency (AFD), has been supported by CFI since 2022 to improve the quality of information in Madagascar, Comoros, Seychelles and Mauritius.
Training courses, coaching sessions, seminars on sensitive issues such as crisis prevention and mediation, the implementation of credible electoral processes, or the promotion and consolidation of democratic governance… A wide range of support is offered to journalists from public and private media who are beneficiaries of the project.
And to ensure the implementation of this support, CFI has asserted itself as a partner of the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), the project leader: in 2023, the agency coordinated and implemented two training courses in Madagascar, one in the Seychelles and two in the Comoros. It also helped to organise a conference on best practice in election coverage in Madagascar, an event that was all the more useful given that the Malagasy presidential election took place in November 2023.
In total, 115 journalists – more than half of them women – have already been able to enhance their knowledge of the ethical principles of journalism, improve their editorial skills and review their writing practices for the press, radio, television and online media.
Joining forces to combat fake news
These training courses, attended by representatives of public and political institutions, have also consolidated – or in some cases recreated – links with the media. “Media professionalism is key to our democracy. We have to work hard to promote it”, said Oumouri Mmadi Hassani, Secretary General of the National Assembly of the Union of the Comoros, during one of the training sessions dedicated to the fight against disinformation. Jean-Luc Mootoosamy, journalist, principal expert on the project and director of Media Expertise, also stresses the importance of close dialogue between democratic institutions and the media to guarantee the reliability of information:
“Democratic institutions in the south-west Indian Ocean are taking up the issue, convinced that providing information to the public and combating the spread of “fake news” is not just a matter for journalists. They can play their part by becoming reliable sources of information and encouraging the circulation of information. The actions of the Governance, Peace and Stability project have raised this awareness”. Jean-Luc Mootoosamy, the project’s media expert and director of Media Expertise
