In Mogadishu, a group of Somali journalists and social media creators recently gathered for a training session unlike any they had attended before. This was not a typical workshop on writing headlines, improving camera angles, or editing footage; it was the launch of the Peace Journalists programme, a specialised initiative supported by the Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) and designed to equip media professionals with the tools to confront the digital propaganda machine of extremist groups. The programme, which is part of a broader partnership between Somalia and the Saudi Arabia-supported coalition, comes at a critical time for a country that has long been on the frontlines of both physical and ideological warfare. For years, Al-Shabaab and other armed groups have used social media platforms, encrypted messaging apps and online forums to recruit fighters, spread fear, and distort realities on the ground. Journalists, bloggers and influencers in Somalia now find themselves in the crosshairs, not as victims but as potential responders. The initiative seeks to turn the media from an accidental amplifier of extremism into a deliberate force for truth and resilience. In a country where a single rumour can trigger displacement or panic, and where a manipulated video can be used to claim a battlefield victory that never happened, the role of the media cannot be overstated. The first training session brought together 40 participants, including journalists, academics, media professionals and social media influencers from both government and private media organisations across the country. They came with different experiences and audiences, but they shared a common purpose: to understand how propaganda works and to learn how to protect their audiences from it. Against the backdrop of ongoing military operations against Al-Shabaab, this gathering represented a quiet but significant shift in Somalia’s counterterrorism strategy. Military power alone, as many officials have acknowledged, cannot defeat an ideology that thrives on disinformation and fear. By investing in the people who shape public understanding, Somalia is recognising that the battlefield extends into mobile phones and television screens, and that the war for hearts and minds is as important as the war for territory.
At the core of this first phase is a concentrated effort to build practical skills that journalists need to separate fact from fiction. In a media landscape where falsehoods travel faster than corrections, these abilities are no longer optional. Participants are being equipped with rigorous digital verification techniques, learning how to determine whether information circulating online is genuine before it is used in their work. This may sound elementary, but in practice it is a demanding discipline. The curriculum covers digital verification, open-source intelligence, image and video analysis, network analysis, and the identification of manipulated or deliberately misleading information. Trainees are taught to trace the origins of a photograph, to examine metadata and geolocation clues, and to cross-check a video against known locations and weather patterns. They learn to map the networks of accounts that share extremist content, follow the patterns of coordination, and identify bots or fake profiles designed to give dangerous ideas the appearance of popular support. They also explore the psychology of disinformation, understanding why certain messages go viral and how emotional triggers are used to bypass rational thinking. For a journalist in Somalia, where access to remote areas is often limited and where official information can be sparse, these skills are not merely technical abilities; they are survival tools. The ability to verify a claim before reporting it can mean the difference between calm and chaos, between a community that is prepared and one that is caught off guard. It also helps restore public confidence in the media, which has often been accused of amplifying rumours or inadvertently giving space to extremist narratives. By placing verification at the heart of journalism, the Peace Journalists programme is trying to rebuild the relationship between reporters and the citizens they serve. The training also encourages participants to think critically about their own digital habits, reminding them that sharing an unverified piece of content with a large following can make them complicit in the very propaganda they want to combat.
Beyond the technical aspects, the programme is designed to help media workers understand how extremist organisations use online platforms to spread their messages and reach wider audiences. Al-Shabaab and groups like it have become sophisticated in their use of digital media, producing polished videos, issuing statements in multiple languages, and maintaining an active presence on social networks even as their physical territory shrinks. They exploit grievances, amplify sectarian tensions, and present themselves as a legitimate alternative to state authority. To counter this, journalists must know not only what extremists are saying, but how they are saying it and why it resonates. Participants are being trained to produce content that challenges extremist narratives without inadvertently amplifying them. This is one of the most delicate balancing acts in modern journalism. A single news report can repeat a group’s slogans, inflate its importance, or create a spectacle that helps its recruitment drive. The training therefore emphasises responsible framing, careful language, and the importance of giving context. Rather than repeating a claim made by an extremist group, journalists are encouraged to investigate the claim, expose its weaknesses, and present alternative facts in a way that is compelling and clear. They also learn to spotlight the human cost of terrorism, telling the stories of victims and survivors in ways that delegitimise violence and promote social cohesion. The goal is not to censor or ignore extremism, but to report on it in a way that diminishes its appeal. This approach recognises that audiences are not passive consumers; they are people who can be empowered with knowledge and critical thinking. When journalists and social media influencers learn to debunk falsehoods before they spread, they become a kind of immune system for the online public sphere. The Peace Journalists programme is built on the belief that well-informed media professionals can undermine extremist propaganda at the point where it usually does the most damage: in the minds of young, disaffected and vulnerable users.
The launch of the Peace Journalists programme has also drawn attention at the highest levels of Somalia’s government. Defence Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi has been clear that the fight against terrorism requires more than military operations, stressing the need to involve every sector of society in confronting extremist groups. In his remarks at the opening event, Fiqi emphasised that Somalia is adopting a broad approach that combines security operations with media, ideological and economic measures. This is not merely rhetorical. It is an acknowledgment that the struggle for peace in Somalia is fought in classrooms, marketplaces and social media feeds as much as on the frontlines. Somali forces, with support from international partners, continue sustained military operations against Al-Shabaab in various parts of the country, but officials have learned that territorial gains can be reversed if the ideological space is left open. The new media programme reflects an understanding that the long-term defeat of extremism depends on winning the economic and ideological battle as much as the battlefield confrontation. It is a recognition that a young person who can access quality information, who has reason to trust the state, and who is equipped to recognise manipulation is far less likely to be seduced by extremist recruiters. The role of the defence ministry in launching a journalism training initiative might seem unusual in other contexts, but in Somalia it is part of a comprehensive national strategy. The government has repeatedly acknowledged that Al-Shabaab’s strength lies not only in its fighters but in its ability to control narratives, intimidate communities, and exploit misinformation. By extending the frontlines into newsrooms and social media pages, the state is signalling that counterterrorism is a whole-of-society effort. In this vision, the media are not passive observers but active participants in the national effort to reduce the appeal of violence. The minister’s words also serve as a reminder that the media are not enemies to be silenced or manipulated, but partners to be empowered. In a region where press freedom is often fragile, this is a significant message. It suggests that the response to extremist propaganda cannot simply be censorship or the shutting down of platforms; it must be the cultivation of trustworthy voices that can rival extremist messaging on their own terms.
The coalition behind the programme has made it clear that this is only the beginning. IMCTC Secretary General Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Moghedi said journalists can play an important role in the fight against terrorism by helping the public distinguish between reliable information and content designed to create confusion or advance extremist causes. The coalition, which is supported by Saudi Arabia and brings together member states from across the Islamic world, views media as an essential pillar of its counterterrorism framework alongside military, financial and ideological efforts. According to the coalition, the training is intended to strengthen the ability of journalists and other media workers to verify information, identify disinformation, and recognise accounts and content that may be linked to extremist propaganda. The media programme is part of a wider package of projects being implemented jointly by the coalition and Somalia. More than 10 government institutions are expected to participate in the cooperation, including agencies and ministries responsible for defence, internal security, information, finance, religious affairs, national security, immigration and communications. These institutions will not simply be observers; they are expected to coordinate their efforts so that media campaigns align with military operations, financial controls and religious outreach. This broad institutional involvement shows that the partnership is not limited to a single workshop or statement of good intentions. According to information released by Somali authorities, the projects will also address terrorism financing, military affairs and ideological efforts, meaning that the media training is best understood as one strand of a larger web of interventions. The cooperation follows earlier discussions between Somalia and the coalition on projects to be implemented in the country, and the latest activities expand the partnership into the media sector for the first time. The expansion also signals a growing alignment between Somali national security priorities and the wider counterterrorism agenda of the Islamic Military Counter-Terrorism Coalition. For Somalia, this deepens its engagement with an international coalition that shares its interest in stabilising the region and preventing extremism from spilling across borders. For the IMCTC, it provides a practical example of how member states can support each other beyond traditional security assistance, using soft power and information integrity as tools of peace.
The timing of this initiative is particularly significant. It arrives at a moment when the country is trying to consolidate gains made on the battlefield and secure them in the minds of its citizens. Somalia continues military operations against Al-Shabaab, and authorities are also stepping up efforts to prevent the group from using propaganda, recruitment messages and online platforms to influence the public. In recent years, Al-Shabaab has adapted to changing technology, shifting its tactics from one platform to another and exploiting the chaotic nature of the digital space. This makes the work of journalists and social media producers even more challenging. But it also makes the Peace Journalists programme all the more necessary. The fight against extremism cannot be won by soldiers alone; it requires teachers, religious leaders, civil society actors, and especially communicators who can offer an alternative vision. It is a reminder that information is not just a tool of war; it is also a tool of peacebuilding. The 40 participants in the first training session represent the beginning of what could become a network of well-equipped media professionals across Somalia. As they return to their newsrooms and online pages, they carry with them not only new skills but a renewed sense of purpose. They are being asked to do something difficult: to remain objective while also being committed to peace; to report the news without becoming a vehicle for those who would spread fear; and to correct lies without repeating them. It is a heavy responsibility, but one that the Somali media has shown a growing willingness to accept. The programme alone will not end terrorism, and no one involved pretends otherwise. But together with military pressure, financial restrictions, and ideological reform, a credible and resilient media can help create the conditions in which extremism can no longer flourish. In a country that has endured decades of conflict, that may be one of the most important investments of all. The Peace Journalists programme is, at its core, an investment in the ability of Somali society to think clearly, to question carefully, and to choose peace over division.