At Media Education Week event in Yaounde: EU ambassador says education, regulation key for curbing hate speech, fake news.

The recommendation was made by the European Union, EU Ambassador to Cameroon, Jean-Marc Chataigner.

The diplomat made the remark during a ceremony to mark the close of the Media Education Week 2023 in Yaounde. 

The Media Education Weekhosted by the Belgian Embassy was placed under the theme: “Media and information literacy in digital spaces: a collective global agenda”.

The event hosted at the residence of the Belgian Ambassador to Cameroon, Eric Jacquemin, was chaired by the EU Ambassador in the presence of the Ambassadors of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and amongst other diplomatic officials.

The gathering was an opportunity for media, civil society actors and diplomatic officials to share ideas on the common challenges posed by new media in Cameroon and other African countries just as in Europe. 

“The issues we have discussed were very important like the issue of hate speech, fake news, access to information, etc. So it was very important to have a discussion on these ideas,” the EU Ambassador said. 

“You know the challenges in Africa are exactly the same in Europe. Like the problem of hate speech on Twitter, Facebook and we must face together the challenges,” he added. 

In the face of common challenges, the EU Ambassador such exchanges are important for both continents to learn from each other and to bring together a common approach. 

According to him, education through sensitisation of the population as well as the institution and implementation of laws regulating the media ecosystem could prove to be the solution to curbing the raging phenomena. 

“It’s a twin approach. Education and regulation are very important to educate young people because they are ones that are connected to the internet. And also it the role of the government to regulate what is happening on the internet,” the diplomat insisted. 

Diplomats, media, civil society actors in group photo

The media education week was organised by pro-European platform, Team Europe.

Ambassador Chataigner also explained that Team Europe is a very important concept for them as it united them for a common diplomatic approach. 

“It’s is the idea that the European institutions are working together with our member states. We are all working together to make a team for our international relations line to develop a diplomatic common approach and to develop corporation actions together,” the diplomat stated, adding that: “We are trying to corporate with others like Cameroon”. 

Going by youth leader, Christian Achaleke, much work has been done by the civil society in Cameroon but are lacking the much needed support and visibility to solutions of the vices. 

“A lot of work has been done on this hate speech but support is still very small for this work,” Achaleke said. 

He further mentioned that: “Defyhatenow is doing a lot of work but are we supporting them enough? I think it doesn’t suffice for us to raise the issues when we are not able to support the solutions to these processes”.

While making the call to action for all stakeholders in the conversation, Achaleke avowed that hate speeches and fake news have been instrumental in causing conflict, war and crimes across the world.