West Africa: RSF supports environmental journalism training by the Truth Reporting Post consortium in Togo

The initiative allowed the Truth Reporting Post consortium of investigative journalists - formerly known as the Togo Reporting Post - to train 25 journalists in investigative methods and how to use them in environmental reporting. The media professionals hailed from Togo, Guinea, Ghana and Benin, and were trainedin open source research techniques, a field known as OSINT, focusing on environmental issues, a sub-field known as ECOSINT. The experience was "beneficial in more ways than one," according to one of the participants who came to Togo specifically for the training, and who plans to investigate the survival of the Niger River.

The consortium's desire to do journalism differently was a main impetus behind the training. "The environment is an important issue that is unfortunately under-reported, misunderstood or ignored," said the chair of the organising committee, Larissa Agbenou. The coordinator of the Truth Reporting Post, Pierre-Claver Kuvo, believes that this type of training is essential, "in order to bring out the truth beyond conventional discourse."

Another journalist who participated in the training said that it enabled him to fine-tune the preparation of several subjects, including an investigation into illegal gold panning in eastern Togo. According to this journalist, the real challenge now lies in "providing support for field investigations."

Journalists working on environmental issues are regularly confronted with obstacles or attacks on press freedom. In February 2025, for example, three journalists were attackedand prevented from filming an illegal mining operation in south-west Ghana.