Cameroon Investigative journalist Chief Bisong Etahoben has made history by becoming the first Cameroonian journalist whose work has been published by UNESCO in a book on investigative journalism to be used around the world. The book tittled " THE GLOBAL Investigative Journalism Casebook" was officially launched at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris September 17,2012 and is edited by Professor Mark Lee Hunter.
According to a statement by UNESCO, " The Casebook aims to enable and enhance the exchange of good practices and networking in investigative journalism worldwide". The UNESCO statement reveals that the book contains the best 20 "recent investigative stories from around the world, covering a wide verity of topical subjects such as freedom of information, good governmance, social and legal issues, the enviroment, health and gender. Each article is accompanied by an explanation of how the authors conducted their research and wrote their pieces.
Many of the authors belong to the Global Investigative Journalism Network, and their stories exemplify the cutting-edge techniques and high standards developed within this network. At a time when media landscapes are rapidly changing, journalism today needs to clearly show its added value for public interest.
In this light, credible investigative stories, like the kind promoted in this book, are increasingly important for highlighting the continuing importance of professional journalistic work. The Casebook thus serves as a key knowledge resource, providing a valuable learning opportunity for journalists and media professionals, as well as for journalism trainers and educators. It will also be used by UNESCO field offices to conduct training courses in investigative reporting. This book can be seen online at :- http://unesdoc.org/images/0021/002176/217636e.pdf
The investigative report by Chief Bisong Etahoben, which appears in chapter eight of the book, was part of a trans-national investigation carried out in 2010 by the Forum for African Investigative Reporters (FAIR) on the eve of the first World Cup soccer tournment ever held in Africa. Title " KILLING SOCCER IN AFRICA", the investigative report was published in more than one hundred news outlets around the world.
In fact, Chief Etahoben and his newspaper the WEEKLY POST were prime-movers behind the investigation which was FAIR's first Arizona project. The aim of the investigation was to find out why no African nation has ever reached the semi-finals of the World Cup despite the fact that Africa has some of the world's best stars who shine in various international soccer leagues.
Chief Bissong Etahoben's story focused mostly on corruption in football within Cameroon's soccer governing body FECAFOOT and the Ministry of Sports in Cameroon. Chief Etahoben has since travelled to Kiev in the Ukraine where he presented his report during the Global Investigative Journalism Conference that held there from October 10 to 17,2011, Cotonou in Benin, Johannesburg in South Africa where he presented the story in the University of the Wittswatersrand during the African Ivestigative Journalism Conference and recently he was in Dakar-Senegal, where his investigation on Barter Trade in Cameroon was a case study during the West African FAIR Conference. He just finished participating in another ground-breaking trans-national investigation on fairtrade in cocoa.
Chief Bissong Etahoben is publisher of the WEEKLY POST newspaper and has been writing extensively for various local and international media. He has been reporting for the Nation Media Group since June1,2011. He is a board member of FAIR with headquarters in South Africa and presides over its Finance Committee. He is an active member of Global Investigative Journalism Network, Reporters without Frontiers, European Investigative Journalism Fund, the International Press Institue, etc.
Good reporting Chief Bissong Etahoben, you make our mentor Patrick Tataw Obenson (RIP) smile in his grave. Congratulations.
Batey Greig
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