A new beginning for Haitian journalists as press centres open around the country

Following the earthquake on 12 January last year, the new press centre in  Petit Goave two hours drive west of Port-au-Prince marks the second in a series of initiatives being launched around the country to support Haitian journalists

“There are people that work all their lives and who are never recognised for what they do. “Today I can say that my work as a journalist was recognised before I died and I hope to see a stronger and more independent media come to life before I do,” said Motigène Sincère in his acceptance speech for more than 25 years service as a journalist in the earthquake-hit city of Petit Goave in Haiti.

His speech came in as the last of the opening ceremony of a new press centre in Petit Goave, a small city two hours drive west of Port-au-Prince. While a joyful event welcomed by many journalists in the surrounding region of Palme from Leogane, Mirogoane and Grand Goave, the background was tragic.

Following the devastating earthquake on 12 January last year, the press centre marks the second in a series of initiatives being launched around the country to support Haitian journalists. More than 300.000 people died as a consequence of the disaster, including over 30 journalists.

Opening of new press centre

On 13 January, in remembrance of those that lost their lives in the disaster, the Secretary General of the Association of Journalists of Palme, Michelaine Hilaire, opened the press centre. It became one of many other events all over the country that was organised around the one-year anniversary of the earthquake. After one minute of silence speeches from national and local authorities were held.

The minister of culture, Marie Laurence Joslin Lassègue, was present at the opening and gave a strong speech to the 50 journalists and other visitors present. She stressed that although there might be differences and competition between the journalists, the centre was a joint resource that should be used for the benefit of all. In the midst of the reconstruction and future managing risk and disasters in the future, she explained that the centre would be a vital tool for professional training, press conferences as well as a workspace.

The Secretary General of the Haitian Journalists Association (AJH), Jacques Desrosiers, who was instrumental in setting up the centre, congratulated the journalists and said: ”The centre is not just a platform to support your work as journalist but is also key in strengthening the joint efforts and solidarity between you as journalists. AJH will be there for you in this process.”

Haitian Journalists Association

AJH is one of the key partners in an IMS project developed as a response to the need for strengthening humanitarian information and rebuilding the media sector following the earthquake. The centre in Petit Goave is the second of three centres to be opened. The first centre was opened on 7 January in Jacmel, a coastal southern city, which was heavily affected by the earthquake. The third centre will be opened in Miragoane between late January and early February.

Rommel Pierre, the IMS humanitarian information coordinator explained, “It is extremely important to support journalists outside Port-au-Prince, and such a centre is one way of doing this.” However, he raised a warning sign: “It is good to have the recognition of the authorities for the centre, but it should not be financed by the municipality or the central government. It is crucial that it is independent from them, in order to avoid attempts to influence our work as journalists.”

Since mid-2010, the AJH, with backing from IMS, has been driving forward several other media support activities across the country from Petit Goave and Leogane to Jacmel, Hinche and Cap Haitien. Hand-in-hand with the department of civilian protection, they have carried out courses on how to cover humanitarian disasters training over 250 journalists across 8 provinces, a related grants system for unemployed journalists as well as specialised training in electoral reporting.

“Both in terms of the reconstruction process and dealing with the ongoing cholera epidemic, we have seen much better communication between journalists and Government officials in getting vital humanitarian information to affected communities,” said Desrosiers. “We aim to continue this work into 2011 and beyond so that our colleagues can play a vital role in the long-term development of Haiti”.