By Andrew Nsoseka
With Cameroon’s October presidential elections approaching, the UN Human Rights Office for Central Africa, known as the UN Centre, has concluded a critical initiative to equip journalists with skills for navigating the precarious intersection of electoral reporting and human rights protection.
The specialised workshop, which spanned from 12–14 August 2025, drilled participants on factoring human rights narratives into their daily coverage. It was themed: “Promoting Human Rights in electoral context: Human Rights based election elections coverage”.
The workshop, targeting media professionals amid anticipated political tensions and potential government crackdowns, provided timely training in essential skills and best practices. As Batata Boris a participant, affirmed:
“The training reignited my passion for covering election-related issues beyond politics. We were reminded that elections concern not just political parties, but all aspects of society. This includes humanitarian reporting, which is my focus. From the training, I’ll be developing many topics.” He furthered that he will be working on election-related stories that don’t solely focus on political parties and their activities, but bring issues of human rights. “I’ll be producing these stories as a direct result of the training. It was indeed a very timely and impactful session”, he said.
Fonyuy Kiven, Programmes Officer at the Centre, speaking on the need for the training, said, “Cameroon’s presidential election demands contextualising human rights, democracy, and peace promotion, where journalists play a vital role. If we cannot share experiences or collectively ask, ‘How do we contribute to a peaceful, credible process?’ we fail in our duty.”
The workshop’s design addressed Cameroon’s tense electoral landscape. Day one covered civil and political rights – including freedom of expression, participation, and assembly, with practical guidance on documenting violations like voter intimidation. Participants analysed real-world case studies to identify rights breaches.
Day two blended ethics and safety. It also dwelled on combating electoral misinformation to help citizens make informed choices, alongside risk assessment, personal security, and protecting data and sources. Participants also practised interviewing political actors through human rights-focused simulations.
The final day prioritised lessons on inclusive journalism, challenging attendees to amplify marginalised voices like those of women, youth, persons with disabilities, and minorities, often sidelined in electoral narratives.
Kiven stressed journalists’ delicate responsibility, telling them that “Processing and disseminating information responsibly is crucial, as is ensuring an informed electorate. This isn’t general reporting. Election periods demand specificity. You must analyse the context, weigh the impact of your reporting, and assess environmental stability.”
He positioned the workshop as conflict mitigation: “We brought journalists together to reflect, share experiences, and explore contributing to a peaceful, rights-compliant process. At this critical juncture, it is more difficult and more vital.”
