One year on from its launch, the first Faso Media review

The seminar brought together around 100 heads of private and public media organisations and journalists, around 10 associations, university students, representatives from political parties and institutions as well as diplomatic missions involved in the project. One year on from the launch of the Faso Media initiative, the time had arrived for an inaugural review. In his speech, Minister for Communications Rémis Fulgance Dandjinou, former director of the TV channel Burkina Info, hailed the 'exceptional' nature of the Faso Media project, which "acts as a model in an environment in which our country needs coherence above all else." He expressed satisfaction that the project "includes both private and public media channels, the audiovisual as well as the written and online press"and "creates synergy that transcends selfish interests."

Journalists and radio station directors, as well as representatives of institutions and associations such as Balai Citoyen, are delighted with the progress made by the project and the synergy created with FasoMédias FM."Our journalists are more professional, more sure of themselves and are much better at transmitting citizens' information. Our listeners have also noticed the difference," said Simple Téhégohi, director of de Radio LPC Bobo."We knew that we would find high-quality information at Faso Media FM. People in a region that received two frequencies heard the same information on both. They then realised it was important and followed the broadcasts."

Following this first review, the radio station directors, journalists, CSO members and political representatives were divided up into two workshops with a view to jointly discussing the next steps of the Faso Media project. The first group focused on an action plan for covering the local elections, while the second worked on potential areas of collaboration between different media organisations, and between media organisations and CSOs, to increase the accountability of elected officials. This work will serve as the starting point for activities that will be initiated with the aim of preparing for and covering the local elections and giving the media a bigger role in helping citizens to determine public action.