The Minister of Local Government and Social Affairs, Jean Marie Vianney Gatabazi, has said that the Francophone press must be aggressive in the market. This was after the launch of a training session for Francophone journalists organized by the Organisation de la Presse Francophone au Rwanda (OPFR) from 19 to 20 August.
Following the adoption of English as a working and learning language, the Francophone media believe that the State should support them in a special way to promote their strengthening. For the Minister of Local Government and Social Affairs, Jean Marie Vianney Gatabazi, they must be aggressive.
“I appreciate your initiative to create an organization of the French-speaking press. This will remind us that the French language must be a working tool in the country,” said Gatabazi. “You have to show your presence in the market,” he says. “You have to write, speak, produce interesting radio programs that can attract listeners to the French language. We know French, we have learned it,” he says. “For the rest, we will continue to support you,” he promises.
According to Gatabazi, the general interest must take precedence over the individual and respect for the law must remain in force. “What we are asking you is to have the spirit of patriotism, to work for the development of the Rwandan population and to respect the law,” he ordered.
As for the French Ambassador in Kigali, Antoine Anfré, he thinks that the support through the Organisation de la Presse Francophone au Rwanda (OPFR) is enough. For the rest, everything will depend on the work of Francophone journalists.
“The Embassy has a partnership with the OPFR,” he said. “What we want is for French-speaking journalists to be able to make a living from their work,” he added. “This presupposes the existence of a demand. I tend to think that if there are quality products, this demand exists,” he said.
“There is also a regional dimension. In the South, Burundi and especially in the West, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are French-speaking countries. This gives an opening to French-speaking journalists based in Kigali,” he said.
According to Antoine Anfré, the market can extend even further than the two countries bordering Rwanda. “Kigali has the vocation to be a regional hub. This is true in the financial, economic and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) fields. Companies are willing to expand, especially in French-speaking countries, from neighbouring to more distant. What is valid for these entrepreneurs is also valid for French-speaking journalists based in Kigali,” he said.
A training workshop on digital technology
This two-day training workshop, funded by the French Embassy in Kigali, aims at strengthening the capacities of Francophone journalists. “This workshop will allow journalists to exchange with their elders and share their experiences,” explains Jeanne Kandama, president of the OPFR. The expected outcome is to improve the quality of reporting by using new online media techniques, according to Jeanne Kandama.
Detecting fake news with online tools was one of the topics developed in this workshop by Aimable Twahirwa. He asked French-speaking journalists to be careful before publishing their news. “A fact-checker should prefer to be the last person to share good information rather than being the first to share false information,” he advised.
Media survival also involves generating revenue. So Victor Nkindi focused on digital media and entrepreneurship. Based on his professional experience, he showed how to make money with audio productions.
Another trainer, Kimenyi Aimable, from Ottawa, Canada, proposed the creation of a data bank even if it means commercializing the information stored.
The OPFR, which is actually a section of the International Union of the Francophone Press (UPF), was created in 2018. Its mission is to foster, enhance and promote Francophone media in Rwanda.
Gérard Rugambwa
