AfricTivistes Health Lab

AfricTivistes Health Lab is a specialised investigative journalism training programme designed to train and build the capacity of health journalists in Africa. The programme aims to equip participants with the skills needed to conduct in-depth journalistic investigations using only digital sources, verify the provenance of a video or photograph, and create secure interactive graphics and maps.

CONTEXT

In French-speaking Africa, access to reliable information on health and science is extremely difficult. Government statistics are poorly recorded and disseminated. The race for audience share drives many media outlets towards sensationalism, a situation exacerbated by a toxic and divisive social media landscape. Citizens are left without reliable information to make informed decisions about their health. This shortfall is particularly worrying when it comes to issues of reproductive health, mental health, communicable diseases and access to healthcare facilities in remote areas.

APPROACH

The programme is structured around 10 investigative pathways developed by the SEEK Initiative: advanced online research, social media research, mapping and geolocation, public archives and databases, news and academic research, interviews, government archives, data development, crowdsourcing and community investigations, audio/video testimonies, and field research. The approach is people-centred, practical, inclusive, ethical and geared towards long-term impact.