RSF trains journalists ahead of presidential elections in Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire
In partnership with local organizations, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has organized workshops for journalists in Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire that provided training in covering elections and limiting the risk of violence against reporters during the electoral process.
Both countries are holding presidential elections this month – Guinea on 18 October and Côte d’Ivoire on 31 October.
In partnership with the Media Alliance for Human Rights in Guinea (AMDHG), three days of training on “The role and responsibility of the media” during elections was provided to 20 Guinean media outlets from Conakry, the capital, and the interior of the country from 14 to 16 September.
In Côte d’Ivoire, two-days of “Training of journalists in election coverage” was organized in Grand-Bassam on 14 and 15 September in partnership with the National Union of Journalists of Côte d’Ivoire (UNJCI), with around 50 political reporters and editors taking part.
“Elections are too often marked by violence against journalists,” said Assane Diagne, the director of RSF’s West Africa office. “Everything possible must be done to guarantee journalists’ safety and ensure that elections, which are important moments for democracies, are covered professionally. While candidates and their supporters must make an effort to ensure respect for press freedom, journalists are better able to protect themselves from political tension if they are trained in electoral processes and their legal framework. This is the purpose of the training that RSF organizes with its local partners.”
Guinea is ranked 110th out of 180 countries in RSF's 2020 World Press Freedom Index, while Côte d’Ivoire is ranked 68th.
Guinea
