Ouahigouya - A new initiative to train post-primary and secondary students in journalistic practices is underway in Ouahigouya, Yatenga. Organized by the General Directorate of Communication and Media in collaboration with UNICEF, the training session held on July 3 and 4, 2024, aims to equip students with the tools to fight misinformation and enhance school newspapers.

According to Burkina Information Agency, the Director General of Communication and Media, the training is designed to introduce students to journalistic techniques and practices, fostering their critical thinking and discernment. "This training session aims to introduce students from establishments in the city of Ouahigouya to journalistic techniques and practices; in addition, the training will allow them to develop their critical thinking and discernment, a first in the Northern region," stated Somé. He expressed hope that the training would revitalize school newspapers across various institutions.

Participants from multiple educational institutions, including Yamwaya High School, Naaba Kango Regional Vocational High School, and Ouahigouya Municipal High School, engaged in theoretical and practical lessons on journalistic genres such as reporting, interviewing, writing briefs, and creating reports. Faidatou Savadogo, a student from Ouahigouya Municipal High School, shared her enthusiasm about the training, emphasizing its significance in introducing them to journalistic writing and improving their skills.

The training, funded by UNICEF, is part of a broader initiative covering four regions in Burkina Faso: East, Sahel, Center-North, and North, aimed at empowering students with media literacy skills in an era marked by widespread disinformation.