By Enock Sithole
Media academics, journalists, researchers and students from across the African continent and the Americas will meet in Mozambique on August 15-16 2024 to discuss ways of strengthening investigative journalism in the country.
Organized by the Media Lab Association (MLA), the International Conference on Investigative Journalism (ICIJ-Moz) will discuss ways to strengthen investigative journalism in the areas of natural resource management and good economic governance.
MLA training manager, Catia Mangue, told Ajenda that the event was part of the USAID Reajir initiative, which among others, “aims to increase accountability in natural resource management and other economic governance issues by improving Mozambican journalists’ skills in investigating and reporting on these topics”.
Mangue said a “strong” debate was expected on illegal deforestation and its impacts. “The illegal exploitation of natural resources such as mining and oil extraction, which can cause significant damage to the environment, air and water pollution, is as a result of actions of large industries,” said Mangue.
According to the World Bank, Mozambique has an annual deforestation rate of 0.79%, representing an annual loss of almost 267 000 hectares of forest, the equivalent of 1 000 soccer fields, every day. This has been blamed for exacerbating the damage caused by cyclones that regularly land in Mozambique.
“The discussions are extremely relevant in a context in which several multinationals exploit natural resources in Mozambique, often without an environmental protection plan. It is critical to promote awareness about the need to combat these crimes to protect the environment and address the challenges of climate change effectively. The conference will be an opportunity to reflect on these issues,” she added.
Mangue said Mozambique was experiencing various types of environmental crimes, among them:
- Illegal exploitation of minerals, such as gold, coal, and precious stones in the provinces of Manica, Tete, Nampula, and Cabo Delgado.
- Sea pollution.
- Deforestation in the provinces of Manica, Sofala, Zambezia and Nampula,
The conference will discuss ways to ensure that journalism plays a role in combating these and other environmental and economic crimes. Thus, conference delegates will, among others, “discuss strategies for success in the production of investigative reports in the areas of natural resources management, transparency and good governance, climate change, human rights and gender”.
The conference also aims to “promote the practice of collaborative journalism by facilitating opportunities for partnerships between national and international journalists.”
Mangue said conference participants were expected to have the opportunity to learn from the best professionals in the field, acquiring new techniques and approaches to investigative journalism. “It is hoped that the conference will create an environment for networking and establishing connections among journalists and experts in the field of investigative journalism,” said Mangue.
Discussions will take place in four main sessions, with the opening address being delivered by MLA executive director, Rui Lamarques. The opening session will be on the theme: Investigative journalism-: a reflection on current challenges and future perspectives in African countries. The closing session will be on the theme: Practice of collaborative journalism, facilitating opportunities for partnerships between national and international journalists, promoting collaboration in cross-border investigations that address common challenges.
In between, delegates will discuss themes such as:
- Investigative journalism
- Collaborative journalism
- Election Coverage
- Ethics and Safety of Journalists
- Climate change
- Human rights
- Gender issues vs media
Journalism students from the country’s journalism schools have been invited to attend and Mangue expects them to gain immense motivation to pursue environmental investigative journalism.