Det med spænding imødesete valg i Kenya foregår mandag og her har NGOen “International Media Support” (IMS) søgt at klæde journalisterne på både til at beskytte sig selv fysisk og mentalt i form af “traumerådgivning” og konflikt-forebyggende journalistik.
NAIROBI, 3. March 2013: With general elections on Monday (4 March), Kenya sees fears of a repeat of violence following the country’s 2007 election. With increased focus on safety and conflict mitigation (lindring), the Kenyan media is preparing for safe and responsible coverage
For Kenyan journalist Daisy Opar, 25, the horrific images she witnessed following the so-called Tana River incident in August 2012, is forever stuck in her mind.
Sparked by ethnic and political differences during the pre-election campaign, the incident saw more than 100 people brutally killed in less than a month.
Coupled with the violence following the 2007 elections, the Tana River incident highlights the need for journalists to handle ethnic tensions between warring groups and how to stay safe in the process.
Looking the other way
Following Kenya’s 2007 elections, a total of 1.200 Kenyans were reported killed, thousands more injured, and over 300.000 people displaced according to the UNHCR.
Around 42.000 houses and many businesses were looted (plyndret) or destroyed.
In the aftermath of the 2007 elections, Kenyan media actors acknowledged that media had contributed negatively to the violence. Their performance was criticised by outsiders – but also by the media themselves.
“When things collapsed, we media people looked the other way. We betrayed the millions of Kenyans who turned out to cast their votes”, said Frank Ojiambo of the Editors’ Guild of Kenya after the 2007 elections.
“They looked up to us but they saw nothing … Had we played our role as media, perhaps hundreds of people would not have died,” added Ojiambo.
The media were also victims in the conflict, with media practitioners exposed to violence, traumatised by what they witnessed.
“The images stay with you after the coverage and by the time you realise you need psychological help, you have been very affected,” says journalist Daisy Opar.
Safety training
Læs videre på
http://www.i-m-s.dk/kenya-elections-no-story-is-worth-a-life
Og se den korte dokumentar “Covering Conflict” on Kenya’s 2007/2008 post election violence, and the Kenyan media’s coverage of and role in the conflict. Produced by IMS partner Media Council of Kenya.
Kilde: IMS
Se baggrund om Kenyas valg i telegrammet
http://www.u-landsnyt.dk/nyhed/20-02-13/multimedia-dokumentar-op-til-kenyas-afg-rende-valg
Yderligere oplysninger hos:
Helle Wahlberg, Communications Manager
tlf. 88 32 70 05 (direkte) og mobil 28 68 10 59
E-mail: [email protected] | skype: helle
web: http://i-m-s.dk
IMS om IMS
International Media Support (IMS) is a non-profit organisation working with media in countries affected by armed conflict, human insecurity and political transition.
In more than 50 countries worldwide, IMS helps to strengthen professional practices and ensure that media and media workers can operate under challenging circumstances.
