Burundian Journalists Urged to Embrace Data and Human-Centered Storytelling

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Climate Resilience（https://en.ibihe.org/category/climate-resilience/）Training（https://en.ibihe.org/category/training/）

Burundian Journalists Urged to Embrace Data and Human-Centered Storytelling

By Arthur Bizimana（https://en.ibihe.org/author/arhur/）

Sep 14, 2026

BUJUMBURA . Journalists in Burundi have been urged to shift away from traditional crisis reporting and focus on human-centered, collaborative storytelling to effectively cover the country’s growing climate threats.

The call was made during a two-day media training workshop hosted by the non-governmental organisation Join For Water Burundi and the environmental journalism network InfoNile at the Hôtel Le Chandelier in Bujumbura, Burundi.

Speaking during the workshop, Fredrick Mugira, an Atlantic Fellow at the London School of Economics and founder of Water Journalists Africa, and cofounder of InfoNile, urged reporters to rethink their approach to environmental and science reporting. He challenged journalists to hold public authorities accountable on basic service provision and policy implementation, asking whether publicly supplied water is safe to drink and whether governments have clear, budgeted timetables to bring clean water and sanitation to every citizen rather than relying on isolated pilot projects.

Mugira highlighted the systemic barriers that prevent environmental issues from reaching the front pages, noting that science stories are often sidelined as complex, boring, or commercially unviable. He argued that a persistent gap in technical skills, combined with a lack of managerial support for journalists venturing into field investigations, has allowed critical crises to go under-reported across the region.

To overcome these hurdles, Mugira called for a shift toward collaborative multimedia journalism that connects reporters directly with scientific researchers and affected communities. He emphasized the importance of translating dense scientific findings into accessible language, using tools such as drone imagery, satellite mapping, and data visualization to make complex stories engaging without losing rigor.

To close the loop between newsrooms and the public, he advocated for « returning stories to the source » through community screenings and local exhibitions. According to Mugira, giving voice to marginalized populations and creating spaces for local dialogue not only builds trust between reporters and their audiences but also drives concrete action by local governments to address climate and sanitation challenges.

Drawing on the concept of agnotology—the study of how ignorance is deliberately cultivated or manipulated—Mugira warned journalists to remain vigilant against actors who deliberately spread misinformation or sow doubt about environmental issues to exploit society.

« The future of environmental journalism lies in collaboration, not in the race for the scoop, » Mugira said. He encouraged the reporters to look beyond reporting on immediate disasters and begin documenting indigenous climate solutions.

Data and Visual storytelling

Arthur Bizimana, InfoNile’s coordinator in Burundi and founder of the environmental news website Ibihe, is training Burundian journalists in the use of data journalism in their reporting and in documentary photojournalism this Friday, 4 September 2026, in Bujumbura

During the training sessions, Arthur Bizimana, the Burundi coordinator for InfoNile and founder of the news site Ibihe, noted that data must be treated as a fundamental « fourth source » of news, taking its place alongside direct observation, official documents, and interviews.

He argued that integrating statistics into investigative reporting gives journalists mathematical precision and scientific rigor, thereby turning subjective claims into verifiable facts.

« Data converts vague assertions into measurable proof, » Bizimana told participants. He pointed out that cross-referencing datasets allows reporters to uncover hidden trends such as corruption in public procurement while maintaining complete neutrality.

While taking the journalists through the processes of cleaning, analysing, and visualising data, Bizimana cautioned that raw figures must be thoroughly vetted for gaps, age, and methodological flaws before they can be used.