4 April 2006

Focus is involved in its first major dust up. I’m keeping this short so you guys have a reason to read the book.

We published a story – and please understand that if we publish it, we stand by our reporting – that a former soldier and a newspaper editor here are plotting to set off bombs (possible) and poison gas (whatever you say there, ace) in Kigali. We’ve got an e-mail that links them, and people who say they were at meetings where this plan was discussed. Fine. The story is there, and in my mind it is solid.

We went as far as republishing an entire e-mail we have, including the Yahoo! buttons, advertising – everything. Originally, Andreas and I only wanted the text of the e-mail in there. But at Shyaka’s urging we put in all the outside stuff.

We did, however, insist that e-mail addresses be smudged out. We fought Shyaka on that (amicably. It was just a disagreement) and it turned out we were wrong. Andreas and I thought people would understand that we were trying to their privacy. Instead, people saw that we had smudged the e-mail and of course now think we forged the thing. We should have listened to the Rwandan.

As Shyaka said, there was an uproar from the admittedly small journalistic/newspaper consuming populace in Kigali. The guy we published about is the publisher of the opposition newspaper here – sort of a roguish, beloved figure in some circles. His newspaper, however, is terrible. It’s full of lies, slander and bad reporting and writing. The publisher is purported to be a thief, and I know that the reporters there rarely got paid. When they did, it was late and less than promised. This is supposed to be the standard-bearer of the free press in Rwanda? Why? Because he makes stuff up that the government doesn’t like?

I’m not making any of this up. Reporters without Borders tried to claim that Focus was some sort of government stooge out to attack its opponents. A friend of the paper basically invited them to come see both of our computers and reporters playing musical chairs before they released anything. We also proved that we didn’t forge any documents. I haven’t seen anything on my regular e-mails from RSF, so that may have worked. At least one of our reporters has been threatened. Will RSF come to our aid? Although I worked in the human rights community, I’m beginning to have my doubts. I was the militant wing of Human Rights Watch, after all. A country is violating human rights on a massive scale? Bomb them until they stop, I say. Few in those halls agreed with me.

But nothing has happened and nothing will happen.

Whenever I think I’m done being surprised by Rwanda, something new disavows me of that notion. I’d say surprised and disappointed. I found this whole incident disheartening. Doing the right thing – protecting people’s privacy – made people think we were forging documents. I was thinking all sorts of bad things about Rwanda and the people here. I started to wonder if it was ever possible to have a free press in Rwanda if there was such a huge lack of trust. And then I wondered what the point of it was. They can have their country, their newspaper and their petty little fights. I thought about throwing up my hands and walking away.

Shyaka talked me down over a Guinness. He got me over my disappointment (mostly) and surprise (somewhat). This is a cultural difference (although this is the first time I’ve encountered this in any culture I’ve experienced). He said that the reason it’s important to have Focus here is that we’re trying to open up space for people to think and have ideas. Our guys are working too hard to accomplish this goal to leave them now.

Plus, it’s bad form to go home when it’s time to stand up. What kind of an example would I be sending to the younger people I work with? Some of them are as young as 17 and 18. If I didn’t support them when they needed all of us together, then why should I expect them to support each other. I like to think I’m someone you want at your side when it’s time to circle the wagons. Leaving just wouldn’t be right.

If anything, the incident has brought the newsroom together. This is real. This is big time. We’re in this together. I think I’m done with clichés for now, but I can’t make any promises.

So, a lot of you will read this and worry. Don’t. I’m fine. My friends will be fine. This will blow over, or there will be angry articles in newspapers. That’s it. On the plus side, people are buying the paper. They know we’re out there.

On to other Focus news. We are now coming out every two weeks, doubling production. That means more work, but I think we’ll be able to do it. I’m learning how to design a page since Andreas’s family is coming to visit, but what’s one more job. I’ll just have to get my part more organized, and probably stay late a few nights. I’ve done that before.

Andreas redesigned the paper, and you can tell he’s Swedish just from looking at it. It bears a striking resemblance to an Ikea catalog.

We now finally have a key to the bathroom on our floor. This is huge, and will probably save me from any permanent damage.

In still other news, Bec will probably find out soon where we’re headed next and when. We could be on the move soon, and I will keep you posted.

Finally, I am writing this on my Mac. I’m so happy that the Hidden Rebel Base is back, fully armed and operational.