Busia: The European Union, through Trust Lab, has embarked on training Busia-based journalists on cybersecurity and empowerment. The six-month project, dubbed Safe Voices 040, will be implemented by Dhamira Moja CBO in partnership with DW Akademy, Code for Africa, and Siasa Place.
According to Kenya News Agency, Dhamira Moja CBO Executive Director Sarah Martha highlighted that at least 60% of journalists based in Busia have faced cyber harassment. 'Our organization carried out a survey two weeks ago and it revealed that 60% of our local journalists have suffered cyberbullying,' she said. Martha added that the project will also facilitate legal support for the media practitioners affected during their work in the digital space. 'This project will also offer capacity building for the journalists through both physical and online meetings,' she explained.
Martha also mentioned that counseling services will be offered to affected journalists through the project to ensure their mental and emotional wellness. Furthermore, a reporting mechanism and hotline will be created to help both media and community to report cases of online harassment, cyber-crime, and digital threats.
Busia Chief Magistrate Edna Nyaloti urged journalists to ensure fairness, accuracy, and professionalism while discharging their mandate. Nyaloti reminded the journalists to carry out fact-checking and ascertain the credibility of news sources instead of rushing to publish information in competition with bloggers. She added the need for proper sensitization of the public to understand how to use the social media space appropriately.
Nyaloti also pointed out capacity building as a tool to handle cyberbullying, emphasizing the involvement of the public, judiciary, security, and media professionals to effectively combat cyberbullying. Busia County Director of Communication Winston Mbanda acknowledged the challenges faced by media personnel, noting that the training is timely to help local journalists understand cyber security issues.
Mbanda stated that frequent training and capacity building will empower media personnel, helping them identify threats and seek redress when needed. Journalists, led by Emanuel Juma, expressed that the training will aid them in handling challenges in the digital space, ensuring their mental and psychological wellbeing. 'We have been given the knowledge on how we can handle the issues to ensure our mental and psychological wellbeing is guaranteed,' Juma stated.