Solutions journalism for local and multimedia information in Haiti

Solutions journalism for local and multimedia information in Haiti

From 15 February to 4 March 2021, six journalists and bloggers received training and support in the production of reports to solve the lack of local and regional news coverage in Haiti, in partnership with FOKAL (Fondasyon Konesans Ak Libète).

This training session, in partnership with FOKAL (Fondasyon Konesans Ak Libète), which was held via video conference with the coach Eric Le Braz, focused on the production of multimedia reports from the community, covering the news specifically from the angle of impact and/or solutions journalism, with the aim of highlighting the responses of local populations to the problems they face.

After a call for applications in 2019, the workshops were initially postponed due to the political and social movements in Haiti and then the global health situation related to Covid-19 in 2020. The training, which was supposed to take place face-to-face, was therefore finally organised via video conference.

Raising awareness of solutions journalism

The journalists were introduced to multimedia reporting techniques related to the issues faced by the populations of the Haitian provinces, be they societal, cultural, health-related, economic or environmental. The one objective is that for each problem, the reports produced show and promote positive outcomes or solutions.

The topics of the reports, such as the restoration of a stretch of road by a women’s association in Léogâne or the fight against deforestation in the Forêt des Pins, were fleshed out and reworked.

Field reporting and support for the production of stories

At the end of the workshop, the participants implemented their reporting project with remote support from the coach and financial support from FOKAL. Social tensions due to the complex electoral situation, as well as the deteriorating security situation in Haiti, have made travel difficult in recent weeks, but journalists are continuing to work on their stories throughout March, for publication in the first half of April.

Feguenson Hermogène en collaboration avec Valérie Baeriswyl photojournaliste lors du reportage à la forêt des Pins. Crédit Valérie Baeriswyl
Feguenson Hermogène, in collaboration with Valérie Baeriswyl, photojournalist, during the report at the Forêt des Pins. Credit Valérie Baeriswyl.
 
Feguenson Hermogène en collaboration avec Valérie Baeriswyl photojournaliste lors du reportage à la forêt des Pins. Crédit Valérie Baeriswyl
Feguenson Hermogène, in collaboration with Valérie Baeriswyl, photojournalist, during the report at the Forêt des Pins. Credit Valérie Baeriswyl.
 
Stevens Jean François lors du reportage à la commune de Milo / Interview avec Erik Saint Martin (membre du Conseil d'Administration de la Section Communale). Crédit Stevens Jean François
Stevens Jean François during the report in the commune of Milo / Interview with Erik Saint Martin (member of the Board of Directors of the Communal Section). Credit Stevens Jean François.
 
Photo 5 : Nelson Deshommes lors du reportage au Centre de Germoplasme de Grand Pré / Crédit Photo Nelson Deshommes
Nelson Deshommes during the report at the Center de Germoplasme de Grand Pré / Photo credit Nelson Deshommes.

 

Recent news from projects on the ground