The authors of this article identify several of the major structural problems faced by specialised journalists and their beats in African and Arab newsrooms. Often, they are not fully supported by their organisations in investigating and publishing stories beyond politics and sports. Also, it is difficult for reporters lacking basic professional skills to find good local experts and scientists willing to inform them. In overcoming these challenges, three important elements are identified: capacity building activities based on peer-to-peer support, the use of various digital tools for distance communication in combination with face-to-face encounters; and third, the blending and flexible application of the above to the needs of individual journalists.

Authors: Jan Lublinski, Inka Reichert, Augustin Denis, Jean-Marc Fleury, Olfa Labassi, Christoph Spurk