Using reliable information to combat hatred, violence and insecurity: German Development Minister Svenja Schulze visits media project in Burkina Faso

During a trip to Burkina Faso and Benin, German Development Minister Svenja Schulze visited a media project of DW Akademie and its local partner Fasocheck in the Burkinabe capital Ouagadougou on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Fasocheck is an established local organization working on news verification and also trains media professionals in fact-checking. Their work ensures that more journalists are better equipped to combat growing disinformation in the country and can provide the population with reliable information.

Dr. Bernd von Muenchow-Pohl from the German Embassy, Development Minister Svenja Schulze and Boureima Salouka, Project Manager (left to right)

German Development Minister Svenja Schulze: "Targeted disinformation endangers our democracies, our open societies and our mutual peace. This is true for us in Germany, and also for Burkina Faso and other West African countries. That's why we support local organizations that check facts, train journalists and teach media skills, thus making an important contribution to development and peace."

In terms of press freedom, Burkina Faso has long been considered one of Africa's success stories. However, in the current press freedom ranking by Reporters Without Borders, the country has recently slipped 17 places and is now ranked 58th out of 180. Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries in the world and is situated in a region characterized by political instability, Islamist terror and the consequences of climate change. The security situation  ̶  including for media professionals  ̶  has deteriorated dramatically in recent years. In addition, journalists are generally paid very little, driving many to be dependent on paid reporting. A high illiteracy rate and a lack of access to information  ̶  especially in rural areas  ̶  means that many people are susceptible to rumors and manipulation.

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has been supporting DW Akademie's long-term projects for freedom of expression and media development in the Sahel region since 2015. The focus in Burkina Faso is on training media professionals and developing dialogue formats that enable disadvantaged population groups to participate and access reliable information. DW Akademie also works to strengthen the media skills of young people here and in the neighboring countries of Mali and Niger.

Boureima Salouka, DW Akademie Project Manager

Boureima Salouka, Project Manager at DW Akademie in Burkina Faso: "Well-trained journalists, media users who can distinguish fact from fiction and innovative dialogue formats strengthen social cohesion. Together they enable a constructive exchange of arguments in the spirit of an open, pluralistic society."

Isidor Bouda, Managing Director of Fasocheck: "We counter hate speech with verified facts. Quality journalism makes an important contribution, especially in crisis situations, to contextualizing news events, promoting mutual understanding and fostering public, fact-based debate."

About DW Akademie

DW Akademie is Deutsche Welle's center for international media development, journalism training and knowledge transfer. Our projects strengthen the human right to freedom of expression and unhindered access to information. DW Akademie empowers people worldwide to make independent decisions based on reliable facts and constructive dialogue. It is a strategic partner of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is active in over 70 developing and emerging countries worldwide.

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