Mr. Eduardo Cue is the international affairs editor with the French network France24.
The Mexican born graduate of the School of Journalism, Colombia University, in this interview, relives his experience as an international journalist. He also speaks on terrorism.
Tell us about your journey in journalism and experiences.
I started in 1975 and I have had a very unique experience. I began my career actually in Spain. I was working for the radio network of the Associate Press wire service. I was also working for Washington Star which was an afternoon paper published in Washington but died in 1980 or 1981. I was able to write a great deal about the Spanish transition from dictatorship to democracy.
As a result of my work there, I was linked by the Washington Post where I worked for about two years covering local news at the metropolitan region of Washington DC. Then I went to UPI in New York. Later, I went to France to begin freelancing until I joined the TIMES of London where I was sent to cover South America. I came back and worked for a financial news agency, then went back to UPI in Paris, Brasseux. I finally joined the Mexican National Network Televisa in Washington. I am now with France 24.
Have you worked with any Nigeria media organisation?
I have not worked with any Nigerian media organization but I was here in 2007 at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ) for one week where we did a week training program on the techniques of journalism reporting and writing. And this time, I’ve been here for a week and will still be going to Abuja
What exactly brought you to NIJ?
Like I said earlier, I was here in 2007 for one week and they wanted me to come back. And so this time, I talked about topics that I think are very important especially for students of journalism so that they understand the important role journalism plays in democracies. We talked about journalism ethics which are important and improvements have to be made. We also spoke about politics and elections. I wanted to give them a perception of how people live. Generally speaking, journalist should work in a democracy and the values of fairness and equity.
Why Nigerian Institute of Journalism amongst other communication schools?
I have done the seminar in 32 African countries and I get invited usually by schools.
I get invited through the US embassy. The US embassy works with local journalism associations and with journalism schools and, when they want me to come, I come. What happened this time was that I did a program for Paris on a DVC with a group of journalists about election coverage; and after that program, they asked me to come to Nigeria.
During your speech, you were talking specifically about terrorism in Nigeria. Talking about Boko Haram, what do you think about the rise in terrorism?
It’s a combination of different factors. I think one of the factors is the tremendous poverty of the world. A lot of people live in abject poverty; when there is no hope, when there is no chance of improvement in the situation, people tend to search for the alternative and terrorism perhaps gives them that alternative. And terrorist groups have taken Islam and completely distort and interpret it.
But a lot of young men heed the call to fighting jihad, “the holy war”, and they feel in many ways that they are valued in the society that they live where they are totally alienated. They feel they are not cared for, that they have no future and here they feel they are fighting for something holy, sacred and I think this is what attracts them. It is happening in the West as well, there are certain thousand Europeans who have joined the group such as ISIS and fighting in the Syrian civil war. But I think a lot of it comes from desperation in the case of Europe. Also, high unemployment is immeasurable, people believe the propaganda of these terrorist groups.
What do you think is the way out?
That is a difficult question. I think the way out is for people to understand that this terrorist group is exactly a terrorist group. That it doesn’t respect human lives. That it has an ideology that is insane, and that it does not represent in any shape or form the teachings of Islam. That is an abnormality and if people can come to understand, that would be one of the ways out. But again the difficulty is that lots of the young people in this society have absolutely no future, no hope; so it’s a question of developing the society by easing out poverty or improving the living conditions. Boko Haram is making serious gains; the group will not give up until it is pushed back and that will have to be through military means.
Again, the causes of terrorism are the same whether it is Nigeria or Syria or Iraq. But the issue is that the society should eliminate corruption to give young people hope, to improve health and education services.
When the government doesn’t respond to these basic needs of the population, then the way is opened for extremism.
I learned you were once detained. Can you tell us about it?
Yes, that was a very long time ago. It’s really wasn’t a big thing. I was covering a demonstration that had not been authorized and I was arrested even though I had a press card. I thought I was going to be able to talk my way out of it but I couldn’t. And we were taken to jail. We were stripped, put against the wall, searched and put in a cell. It lasted like 17 or 18 hours.
How should the press maintain honesty with government regardless of their deceit?
That is the nature of politicians and political campaign. Politicians make as many promises as they can. The journalist has to make sure that he challengse politicians, ask them how they want to keep the promises; ask how they, specifically, with details, going to resolve problems. It is not a question of being honest with government, it’s a question of doing your job honestly with everybody, whether with government, the opposition parties, the civic society or the economic powers.
Back to my previous question, did the incident affect you in anyway after you were released from jail?
The incident put a lot of publicity in the media. It was on the front page of Los Angeles Times and on the radio. But it didn’t really affect me in any way in the sense that maybe I don’t want to be a journalist anymore.
By Iyabo Aina
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