A growing controversy has erupted in Burkina Faso after around 40 journalists from both state and private media organisations completed a military training programme organised by the authorities.

Described by officials as a “patriotic immersion”, the initiative is designed to give media professionals firsthand insight into the operational realities faced by defense and security forces battling jihadist insurgencies across the country, as well as the complexities of reporting during an ongoing security crisis. The government plans to roll out the training on an annual basis.

However, the initiative has sparked sharp backlash from press freedom advocates and civil society groups, who warn that militarising media training threatens journalistic independence, risks blurring the lines between news reporting and state propaganda, and could put journalists targeted in the field at greater risk.

–ChannelAfrica–