Special Media Café More on investigative journalism : The Banouto Consortium shares its experiences

A special Café Media Plus took place at the Maison des Médias Thomas Megnassan in Cotonou this Friday. 13 May 2022. On the menu of this issue 350, a workshop for sharing experience on journalistic investigation. The initiative comes from Café Media Plus in collaboration with the Banouto Consortium, supported by the United States Embassy in Benin.

The exchanges are organized around three panels and three different themes, namely : “How to make a good journalistic investigation ” ; ” Sources of funding for journalistic investigations : case of media outlets and freelance journalists ” a “politics of adaptation and reinterpretation” which functions as the continuation of the auxiliaryization ” Collaborative Investigative Journalism : secrets of success “.

Exchange and sharing meeting, this workshop is in the good sense of the word. The fifty or so participants were treated to information and tips for finding the right theme, the sources and in particular how to mobilize the financial means to carry out the investigation properly. The panelists, Faliatou Titi, winner of investigative journalism competition, Eric Guedenon, Josué Méhouen,  Flower for us, Venance Tonongbé, Olivier Ribouis and Hervé Kingbèwé and discussed the various topics from top to bottom.

From the start of the works, Leonce Gamai, Banouto Online Media General Manager and Project Coordinator “Banuto Investigation : Light on Benin's socio-economic and security challenges” funded by the US Embassy in Benin said that "if the media is the 4th power in a democratic system, the investigative journalist is one of the central pillars of that power”. “Banouto stands out today as a pioneer but a single swallow cannot make spring, the need to share what has been learned has therefore emerged. Hence the initiative,” he said.. He also justified the preference of this exchange workshop and not the classic training "there has always been training and we believe that the colleagues have enough".

For the Café Media Plus Coordinator, Herve Hessou, this exceptional issue is CMP's desire to get out of the weekly routine and explore other themes in order to better equip colleagues. “We are taking advantage of a project initiated by Banouto for the benefit of the media, to share this experience in order to enrich ourselves further on many subjects… This is new, but it is for the rooting of more professionalism in our profession », did he know.

The High Authority for Audiovisual and Communication (Haac) attaches great importance to professionalism and respect for ethics in the profession. "The HAAC is concerned that the media can inform and inform healthily" insisted Franck Kpotchémé, Adviser to the HAAC while adding "This is why all initiatives aimed at strengthening the capacities of journalists are welcomed".

On the side of the United States Embassy near Benin, financial arm, of the project “Banuto Investigation : Light on Benin's socio-economic and security challenges”, the free and independent media plays an essential role in democracy "by ensuring that the government and power listen to the people" specifies Mr. Christopher Helmkamp. He expects promising content for investigative journalism in Benin in the near future.

The Technical Advisor to the Minister of Digital and Digitization has, on the other hand, praised the interest of the theme for the development of a nation and citizen monitoring. “The role of the investigative journalist is irreplaceable because shedding light on what the people deserve to know. To do this, the journalist has an interest in being well equipped to play this role properly., to this Gildas O. Aïzanon.

After Cotonou, course will be set for Parakou, for another sharing workshop, always with media professionals on good investigative journalism practices.

Arnaud ACAKPO (Coll)