12 Cambodian Journalists in Battambang with Local Communities
Related project
Media for One healthCambodian journalists committed to health and the environment in Battambang.
From November 18 to 22, 2024, 12 Cambodian journalists took part in an intensive training session in Battambang, organized by CFI, to sharpen their skills in interview and investigative techniques. This training was part of the Media for One Health project, supported by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, which highlights the interconnections between human health, animal health, and the environment.
A training to make “One Health” accessible.
The goal? To boost journalists’ ability to create content that’s both engaging and easy to understand, tackling complex health and environmental issues. Participants learned how to use methodologies and tools to conduct in-depth investigations and produce impactful journalism.
To achieve this, trainers adopted an interactive approach, featuring hands-on case studies, experience sharing, and group exercises in investigative journalism. This format was especially relevant given the participants’ experience—most of them work for well-known outlets such as the Khmer News Agency, Cambodian national TV and radio, Kiripost, Thmey Thmey, and Women’s Community Voice.
They approached the training as a peer-to-peer exchange, aiming to inspire one another and develop new best practices together.
Journalism in Touch with Local Realities
A hands-on training in Battambang, rooted in real-world situations and local ecosystems. Held in Battambang, this training was all about getting out into the field—meeting local communities and foundations working to preserve tropical ecosystems. Journalists had the chance to create content on-site, focusing on the real challenges faced by local populations.
But that’s not all. CFI teamed up with the French NGO Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (AVSF) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to enrich the training experience. Participants highlighted projects supported by AVSF, such as agroecological farms and medical waste management initiatives. They also met with FAO teams to explore their avian flu prevention programs in Cambodia—an important issue for the country.
This search for synergy with French and international actors working to protect health and local ecosystems is close to CFI’s heart. These collaborations helped ground the training in real-life cases, serving both the communities and the projects based in Battambang.
A Springboard to “One Health” in Bangkok
This training was just the first step in a series of journalism workshops focused on producing content using the One Health approach. The next stop? Bangkok, Thailand, in January 2025, where the same group of journalists dived into mobile filming techniques and met key experts of the One Health approach in the country.
