Context
The media have a big role to play in the dialogue between all Cameroonians. They can contribute to the peaceful resolution of disputes in crisis areas by providing the population with reliable and objective information and by producing programs that allow all stakeholders to express themselves in public debate. They can also bring greater attention to women’s issues and empowerment.
Our aims
“Talk Peace” will be implemented in Cameroon for two years and will aim to train professionals of 10 Cameroonian media in the production of reliable and verified information, as well as in the production of interactive content promoting dialogue. It will also aim to teach young people living in crisis regions about media and information literacy and digital citizenship through workshops.
The project will be executed by CFI and two Cameroonian civil society organizations : the Association for Integrated Development and Interactive Solidarity (ADISI) and the Youth Council Foundation (FCJ).
Project content
The program will run from September 2022 to May 2024.
It will be structured around three key activity components:
- Component 1 – Training on information verification and journalism in sensitive contexts for 10 written press, online or broadcasting (radio and television) media outlets.
- Component 2 – Training and support to produce interactive programs for the broadcasting media selected as part of component 1.
- Component 3 – Media and digital citizenship education workshops for young people from crisis regions, half of whom will be women.
This call for applications relates to project components 1 and 2.
Among the 10 media that will be selected: 5 will be print or online media and 5 will be broadcasting media (radio or television)
- All media outlets selected will all benefit from the activities under component 1.
- The five broadcasting media will also benefit from the activities under component 2
Component 1 – Support offered by CFI for the media for all selected outlets (10) :
- One (1) training session to raise awareness of the challenges of journalism in sensitive contexts and misinformation for the editorial managers of the 10 selected media outlets; four (4) days in Yaoundé.
- One (1) training session on information verification for the journalists (two journalists per media outlet selected); six (6) days in Yaoundé.
- One (1) training session on journalism in sensitive contexts for the journalists (two journalists per media outlet selected); six (6) days in Yaoundé.
- Two (2) peer-to-peer discussion seminars (two days per seminar) in Yaoundé : the first on misinformation and the second on journalism in sensitive contexts. The editorial managers of the 10 selected media outlets will meet with counterparts from African and European media outlets working in contexts similar to that of Cameroon.
With the exception of the training for the editorial managers, each training session will be followed by a coaching during three or six months (on-site and/or remote coaching) in order for the journalists to put into practice what they learn from the training sessions.
Component 2 – The support offered by CFI the 5 broadcasting media (5) includes :
- Regional consultation meetings (one per outlet) will also be held to bring together the selected media outlets and the stakeholders in the public debate (civil society, traditional authorities, local authorities); two days, in a city close to the region in which the outlet is based.
- One training session on producing interactive programs (theory and design) ; six days in Yaoundé.
- One workshop dedicated to producing interactive programs (creation and production of a pilot) ; six days in Yaoundé.
Each broadcasting media selected for Component 2 will nominate a team of two journalists and one technical staff who will be trained and supported to create their interactive program (on air, in the studio, or on social networks).
Before the start of the training, a consultation meeting will be organized in their region to allow each media member to meet members of civil society organizations and local authorities working on conflict prevention or resolution.
The training will be given in French and English by two experts in secure conditions.
Who is this call for applications for ?
- Cameroonian popular media outlets with correspondents in the crisis regions (Northwest, Southwest and Far North) or with editorial offices located in those regions:
Radio, TV, online and written press media outlets are eligible (providing they have an internet or social media presence).
Applicant must meet the following conditions:
- Be based in Cameroon;
- Have an independent editorial policy;
- The editorial department must have at least eight permanent journalists;
- The media must have been operating for at least two years;
- The media must have a national audience (or an audience across several regions) or correspondents in the crisis regions (Southwest, Northwest and Far North) or be based in one of those regions.
- The media have to nominate two available journalists to participate in the training program for component 1 (information verification and journalism in sensitive contexts). The media can nominate four journalists : two for the first training session (information verification) and two for the second (journalism in sensitive contexts). However, the pairs nominated must be the same throughout the project.
Applicant broadcasting media must also:
- Have the equipment to produce and broadcast programs.
- Commit to nominate two journalists and one technician to participate in the training program for component 2 (regional consultation meeting with civil society and local authorities, and creation/production of interactive programs)
Applications from media outlets putting forward female journalists (for components 1 and 2) will be considered with particular interest.
- . A media with an editorial manager (editor-in-chief, producer, programme director) involved in the training programme :
- The managers will participate in peer-to-peer seminars lasting two days and one 4-day workshop focusing on raising awareness of journalism in sensitive contexts and information verification.
- The editorial managers will also participate in the closing forum.
Screening process
By filling in the application form at the end of this page up to 18:00 UT on 2 August 2022.
Evaluation grid
The applications will be reviewed by a jury against the following criteria (out of 100 points) :
| |
Criterias |
Number of points |
| File |
Complete file |
Incomplete applications will not be processed |
|
| Media |
|
60 |
|
Audience: geographical area covered.
|
15 |
|
Professionalism: the media outlet’s editorial policy and organization of the editorial team (number of editorial managers and journalists, etc.) |
15 |
|
Quality of the editorial project proposed (with respect to the project activities) |
30 |
| Journalist pairs |
|
40 |
|
Skills and experience of the journalists put forward for the project. |
40 |
| Total |
|
100 |
If two applications have the same score we will give priority to the application with one or more women.
Key dates
- Friday, 1st July 2022: opening of the call for applications
- Tuesday, 2 August 2022: deadline for receiving application (18:00 UT)
- August 2022: selection of journalists
- October-November 2022: start of training cycle
