Chad: "We're constantly learning what democracy means"

François Dingames, a former radio journalist, has headed the "Maison des Médias du Chad" (MMT - Chad Media House) since 2010. The MMT is an independent umbrella organization for Chad's major journalist associations and an important meeting point for the country’s media makers. For the past two years DW Akademie trainers and consultants have supported the organization with conflict-sensitive reporting workshops and a vigorous journalism training program. This long-term project is funded by the German Foreign Office. The institute is housed in a large villa in the center of the capital N'Djamena and equipped with the tools journalists need to do their work.

François Dingames, former radio journalist and current director of the MMT

Mr. Dingames, how were you and your colleagues able to establish an umbrella organization for journalists in a country that is so culturally and linguistically diverse?

We wanted to create a central organization that looked at various problems facing journalists and explore ways to deal with them. Chad's main challenges are, on the one hand, the myriad languages and cultures in the country. But there's also a lack of professional training and equipment.

Still, the MMT is now playing a special role.

It is. Many were initially skeptical when the institute got underway in 2011 but are now extremely pleased. The MMT offers journalists a computer room with Internet access, a library, and rooms where they can work, meet and exchange views and experiences.

Government and opposition members are also using the MMT as a place to gather and hold meetings.

That's true. We organize discussion groups and press conferences and these enable journalists to have direct contact with politicians, members of civil society and the business community. This type of dialogue wasn’t possible just a few years ago.

The Maison des Médias (MMT) in Chad’s capital N’Djamena

How do you make sure the institute stays neutral?

It's something we have to think about every day. We’re constantly learning about what democracy means and at times it’s difficult to explain our own position to others. You see in Chad, being neutral isn’t necessarily seen as a good thing - you’re expected to support either the government or the opposition. But the MMT is a house for journalists and so we’re constantly making sure that we’re not biased towards one side or the other.

How professional do you think journalism in Chad currently is?

We still have a long way to go! The media landscape here is rough – there are those who have worked for years in the profession but have never followed basic journalism principles. At the same time, journalists new to the field receive very little training and have few opportunities to learn. We’re trying to change this. One of the MMT journalist associations, for example, has set up a monitoring system for print media. Its task is to warn colleagues who are found ignoring basic journalism principles. The goal is to avoid major professional lapses and in turn, raise the overall standard of journalism.

Conducting research in the MMT library archives

The MMT has been working with DW Akademie for more than two years now. What have been some of the results?

We now have a pool of 12 journalists, for example, whom we’ve trained to become trainers themselves. They're now going out to the province to share their expertise with others. This is essential because good journalism training is the foundation for good journalism itself. This commitment from DW Akademie has benefited many of our journalists. We also offer reporters based in the capital and the province extensive advanced training, a rarity in Chad.

Terrorist groups recently launched suicide attacks in N'Djamena. How safe is it there right now? And how is it affecting MMT's activities and joint projects with international organizations such as DW Akademie?

The attacks didn't come as a surprise. Chad's army has been fighting Boko Haram in Nigeria and has weakened the terrorist group, but the terrorists are now out for revenge. Chad’s population, however, is working closely with the police on this because they see Boko Haram as a threat. We’re all hoping that this close cooperation between the people and the government will bear fruit and further weaken the terrorists. In moments like these, support from international organizations like DW Akademie is more important than ever. Only by working together can we maintain the democratic progress we’ve made so far and develop it even further.