Tailored coaching for a Bria radio station

Despite the unstable security situation that has lasted now for more than a year - a situation caused in large part by regular outbreaks of tension between different armed factions threatening the city of Bria - the La Voix de Barangabaké radio station has continued to broadcast to keep the public informed, only going off air when the situation was so bad as to put its journalists in danger.

Run by two trainers from CFI and the ARC (Association des Radios Communautaires de Centrafrique, or Association of Community Radio Stations of the Central African Republic) – Richard Goutia and Arsène-Jonathan Mosseavo – the training had to be tailored to the realities on the ground and to the broadcasting schedule (12:30pm to 5pm). An initial diagnosis provided a basis for examining the strengths and weaknesses of the radio station from various organisational, journalistic and technical points of view and to draw up recommendations.

The core topics of the workshops were: organisational, ethical and time-management rules, the foundations of radio journalism, reflections on topics related to the themes of the Relèvement et Stabilisation en RCA [Recovery and Stabilisation in CAR] project, and discussions of risks and recommendations for reporting on certain topics in conflict zones.
The workshops were held every morning between 8am and 12pm to allow sufficient time for the reporters to go into the field to prepare the day's stories.

Positive initial results

With the training now completed, there are already signs of tangible results. The whole team now gets together every day for an editorial meeting. The newspapers are now printed daily and cover topics more closely related to the community's current socio-economic situation.

Security conditions permitting, the next training is likely to take place within the media organisation, recognising its role as the main tool for raising awareness of peace and social cohesion.
" Without Radio Barangbaké, the situation in Bria would be worse than in Kaga Bandoro" (a city where the inter-community crisis is very severe), notes an observer of CAR media. However, reporting on events surrounding the movements of armed groups or on topics related to peace or the redeployment of state services remains difficult because, as the director of the Voix de Barangbaké notes, "the armed groups don't want to hear about it".
A module on "conflict-sensitive journalism" will again be offered during the next training session.

The initiative is part of the media component of the Recovery and Stabilisation in CAR pilot project, funded by the Fonds fiduciaire Bêkou [Bêkou Trust Fund] with co-financing from the European Union, and run by Expertise France in partnership with Avocats sans frontières Belgique (ASF) and CFI.