A human rights project in Kenya has launched a new curriculum to train journalists in the country on how best to report on human rights related issues. An initiative of the Canadian media development organization, Journalists for Human Rights, the Voice for Women and Girls’ Rights curriculum seeks to improve best practices around reporting on human rights issues in the country.
Speaking during the curriculum’s launch in Nairobi in April, Journalists for Human Rights regional team leader Mustafa Dumbuya said the goal of developing the new curriculum is to equip future generations of journalists with the skills and knowledge to better recognize and report on issues related to human rights.
“The vision is to ensure that everyone is aware of their human rights. The curriculum is an opportunity to produce stories that contextualize and dig deeper into issues reported,” said Dumbuya. “The more a society is informed – the more a population is informed – they will start taking action on issues of concern. It all starts with knowledge.”
Human rights in Kenya
Kenya’s human rights trajectory remains a concern, according to a 2022 report from Human Rights Watch. Among the groups experiencing the most violations of their human rights were refugees, women and girls, and LGBTQ communities. Security forces were the top violators of human rights in the country, the report assessed.
Journalism is all about human rights, noted Janine Cocker, head of cooperation at the Canadian High Commission in Kenya. “The more people are aware and free to discuss human rights, the more they will hold their governments to account, leading to improved public services, less corruption, better economic opportunities and stronger democratic processes,” she said.
Journalists themselves have also come under fire in the country. Between January and May 2022, the Media Council of Kenya (MCK) documented 45 press freedom violations, most of them related to coverage of elections. In March 2023, the MCK raised concerns over attacks on journalists by security agents and opposition supporters during anti-government protests.
These attacks on the media demean the spirit of mass action as it betrays democracy's foundations, noted MCK CEO David Omwoyo.
“Journalists play a vital role in providing accurate and timely information to the public, and attacks on them while carrying out their duties are unacceptable,” he said. “The freedom of the press is a cornerstone of democracy, and any attempt to intimidate or harm journalists is a direct assault on this fundamental right. Attacks on journalists during demonstrations are a serious concern and must be condemned by all those who value press freedom and democracy.”
The new human rights training curriculum will help journalists bridge gaps in knowledge of such issues in the country, said Nairobi-based journalist Hexin Obuchunju: “Journalists, just like anyone else, are human beings first before becoming scribes. This curriculum will go a long way in helping us to not only effectively report on the violation of other peoples rights but also our own rights.”
Raising awareness
There is a deficit in knowledge among journalists on how to cover issues related to human rights, explained Dr. Nancy Booker, an assistant professor of communication and multimedia journalism at Aga Khan University, and a consulting author on the curriculum.
"During our research and development of this curriculum, many of the journalists who cover human rights said nobody ever taught them how to do this, nobody took them through some of the things they encounter daily, and they had to learn on the job,” she said.
"Our curriculum on human rights is the first step to help journalists report effectively and competently on human rights and to also ensure that journalists are not violating human rights.”
Photo by Amani Nation on Unsplash.
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