Promoting Media Literacy at the Opera Village

The Opera Village has established itself since its inception as a place for creative expression for both artists and the local population of the Ziniaré region. As part of our 2024/2025 Artist-in-Residence program, which is conducted in collaboration with local partner organizations, the focus is on fostering artistic practice and social exchange. The goal of this program is to strengthen intercultural dialogue, preserve cultural identity, and promote community spirit through workshops. In addition to the artistic and educational work, we also view the residency program as a platform to implement projects in collaboration with local and international artists. In cooperation with the Burkinabe organization Faso Check, a two-day training on “Disinformation and Fact-Checking” was held for the first time in October. The training targeted various participants, including journalists, students, and civil society representatives, with the aim of enhancing their ability to handle disinformation and providing them with tools to promote a fact-based information culture.

In West Africa, particularly in the Sahel region, disinformation campaigns have significantly increased in recent years. Russia plays a central role in this, spreading anti-Western narratives to strengthen its influence. Since 2018, Russia has sponsored nearly 60 percent of disinformation campaigns in countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. These campaigns aim to push back Western influence and promote pro-Russian stances, especially following the expulsion of Western military forces. In addition to Russia, other actors such as China and Qatar are also active in the region, competing for political influence. The spread of misinformation has significant impacts on local journalists, who are often intimidated or forced to self-censor. In an era when disinformation spreads quickly through social media, the need for journalist training and the promotion of media literacy is becoming increasingly urgent. Combating disinformation remains a major challenge for the region.

The event at The Opera Village began with a welcome speech by our cultural director, Laurentine Bayala, who emphasized the importance of the training. She highlighted the necessity of maintaining the integrity of cultural content at a time when misinformation is becoming increasingly widespread. The Faso Check team, consisting of Dr. Ousmane Paré, DA Tiomité, and Mouhyiddine Ouedraogo, presented the objectives of the training. The first day focused on the theoretical foundations of disinformation, with participants gaining insights into the cultural dimensions of misinformation and its effects on social cohesion. Particularly valuable was the exchange of personal experiences, where journalists and civil society representatives shared concrete cases. They described the challenges posed by the spread of misinformation and how it can exacerbate social tensions and cultural misunderstandings. On the second day, the focus shifted to practical exercises and the use of digital tools to detect disinformation. Participants were introduced to tools like Google Reverse Image Search and InVID to verify the authenticity of images and videos. In an interactive group project, participants applied their newly acquired knowledge by analyzing and assessing fictitious disinformation examples in a specially created WhatsApp chatroom. The training team provided valuable feedback to deepen the learning process.

The training concluded with a joint evaluation, during which all participants emphasized that their ability to handle disinformation had significantly improved. The practical exercises and use of digital tools were particularly appreciated as highly helpful. The event was seen as especially relevant in a time when the spread of misinformation via social media is becoming an increasing challenge. Our cultural director, Laurentine Bayala, expressed satisfaction with the outcome and emphasized the importance of such collaborations for our cultural work. The successful cooperation with Faso Check has clearly demonstrated the importance of working together to combat the spread of misinformation in order to strengthen social cohesion and promote a fact-based information culture. The training at The Opera Village was, therefore, an important step in addressing the challenge of disinformation. Participants now feel better equipped to actively advocate for a fact-based information culture in both their professional and personal environments and to share this attitude with their families and communities.

This year’s Artist-in-Residence Program is supported by