Haiti Can’t “Build Back Better” Without Better Journalists | Global Spin | TIME.com
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Haiti Can’t “Build Back Better” Without Better Journalists | Global Spin | TIME.com
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Le Devoir de Penser et s'Exprimer Librement…
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At Internews, we are heartened to see this issue given such prominence. A vibrant and independent press is critical for any country to survive and thrive. In Haiti, the strengthening of the fourth estate must be a component of any development strategy.
Internews has been working in Haiti for more than five years. Since the earthquake, we have been funded to partner with local journalists to provide accurate, timely and well-targeted humanitarian information that helps saves lives. It is now well-established and widely-accepted that individuals affected by disaster need more than just physical necessities: they also have an urgent need for information. Their survival can depend on knowing the answers to simple questions such as: Is it safe to go back home? What is the extent of the damage? Where can I get clean water? Where is the nearest health facility?
Between January 21st 2010, nine days after the quake, and May 18th 2012, Internews’ radio program Enfomasyon Nou Dwe Konnen or ENDK (News you Can Use), produced in collaboration with radio stations across the country, provided more than 600 daily episodes and many longer-format “magazine” episodes. The program aired on more than 30 stations every day, providing not only information to its listeners, but also opportunities for reporters to learn basic journalism skills and contribute to a well-respected production. Internews did not hire any journalists away from media outlets – for those who were unemployed because of the quake, we kept them working until their stations were back on air and they could return to their jobs, and we hired freelancers and students aspiring to be journalists. Media outlets also sent their journalists to the ENDK newsroom for internships and hands-on training.
There is a great need for deeper, harder hitting journalism in Haiti – but there is also a need to first build basic journalism skills. We train journalists to be computer literate, to edit audio, to look for information, to weigh it, to be persistent, to write in proper Creole, and to archive their data. These skills can also be used for investigative journalism. But without these skills, there can be no journalism at all.
Providing humanitarian news and information was a vital, life-saving need in post-earthquake Haiti. The next steps are to expand this very successful methodology and build local journalists’ skills to report on all topics. For more information please see: http://bit.ly/ClosingtheLoop
– Jeanne Bourgault, Internews President, and Philippe Allouard, Internews County Director in Haiti