Journalists must continue to ask questions, but questioning the situation, said Mariam Ouedraogo, a journalist from Burkina Faso in West Africa.
Mrs. Ouedraogo spoke in the interaction of the second day of the four -day International Media Festival in Kerala, organized by Keraral Media Academy, here on Tuesday.
A journalist who spoke to the poet and novelist Anupama Raja in French that there would always be wars, conflict, authoritarian regimes or other risks, but journalism had to work and journalists had to speak.
Although Mrs. Ouedraogo, who works for Sidway’s French language newspapers, believes that the main responsibility of the journalist is to inform and create awareness, she spoke about cases where the strength of the pen forced the government to act.
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In 2015, her reports of visually attacked students who were omitted from the main education were forced to establish a mission to make the education system more inclusive. Her reports of homeless women stimulated the government to take immediate steps to move women to hostels. This also led to a permanent step for women to become the streets and provide them with a roof over their heads. In 2018, Mrs. Ouedraogo led the campaign for access to ultrasonic machines to monitor the health of pregnant women. This problem even got the attention of the Prime Minister, which led to the installation of machines.
She recently told the story of a 13 -year -old girl who was raped a 47 -year -old man and ended up with a child. Mrs. Ouedraogo combined people to ensure the education and rehabilitation of the girl. The surviving rape received a scholarship and continued his education without being burdened with motherhood.
Its report, which gives the voice to the voiceless, especially those who show the destructive impact of conflicts on women, brought her international recognition. It won almost 25 awards, including the ICFJ Knight International Journalism Award and Bayeux Calvados-Normandy awards. She was also appointed “Media Person of the Year 2025” Media, the flagship of Kerala Media Academy.
Her work, however, also took the tax on her health. Re -experiencing terrible descriptions of crimes against women made her develop post -traumatic stress disorders. Specialists advised her to take a break, but continue to report stories, unable to stay away from something that happens around her every day.
She learned to live with trauma.
Mental health
Yet they advise journalists and those who are trying to become a preference of their well -being, especially mental health, and maintain the bumper with each other and suffering of entities in their reports.
Mrs. Ouedraogo feels that the conflict in Burkina Faso and neighboring areas does not receive as much media coverage as in many other places around the world. It is necessary to report it as well as the situation in Gaza or Ukraine, he says.
Published – September 20, 2025 20:02
