CFI launches five projects to strengthen media outlets and combat disinformation in Africa, Asia and the Balkans with funding from the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs
These projects, which launched this summer, address a growing challenge of strengthening media outlets to enable them to produce reliable, independent and verified information, in particular in regions in or emerging from crises (Central Asia, South-East Asia, the Balkans, Myanmar and Ethiopia).
Ethiopia: Strengthening the Media Sector
Against the background of significant internal tension and controlled news in Ethiopia, this two-year project will strengthen the training capacity of the Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority, a self-regulatory organisation with a mandate to promote the production of pluralist, reliable and inclusive information and thereby contribute to stability and social cohesion in the country.
Myanmar: Supporting Journalists in Exile
Since the coup d'état carried out by the army on 1 February 2021, there has been no freedom of the press in Myanmar. This project will support independent Burmese media outlets and journalists in exile to produce high-quality, objective information for resident or expatriate Burmese people.
The Balkans: Combatting Disinformation
This project, which focuses on disinformation, polarisation of narratives and an increase in nationalist sentiments in the Western Balkans, will encourage young people in the Balkans to participate in regional dialogue by strengthening their media and digital voice and by combatting disinformation. In Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, CFI will focus its efforts on two key areas: media and information education for young people and the professionalisation of journalists.
Central Asia: Providing Training to Combat Misleading Information
The invasion of Ukraine in 2022 shook the media in the Central Asian countries close to Russia, in particular Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and their capacity to express their own ideas and relay accurate and impartial information. This project will raise awareness among journalists of verification and investigation techniques.
South-East Asia: Strengthening Media Knowledge of Scientific Topics
In South-East Asia, the pressure on the environment caused by human society, coupled with the consequences of climate change, may have major consequences for human, animal and environmental health. The Media for One Health project will strengthen the skills of media outlets in South Asia (Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines) in producing and disseminating reliable information on scientific topics.
