Kossi Elom Balao

I love journalism. Journalism will always be my job. My great passion for journalism motivated me to work in an environment where I can help other colleagues to better do their work. And I knew, ICFJ was the best place to achieve that dream and make a strong addition to the global journalism community. 

I oversee ICFJ’s Global Health Crisis Reporting Forum in French. I’m helping journalists around the world better cover the pandemic. I plan, coordinate and host digital programming for the Forum such as webinars, journalism training as well as creating resource packages for journalists.

My background: As a journalist, I have covered stories in Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, France, Germany, China, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Ghana, Benin and Togo. I won several awards in journalism including the United Nations Voices of a Brighter Future Journalism Competition. I’m the president of the French-speaking African Science Journalists Network (RJSAF) and the founder of The Confidential Report online newspaper.

I have a bachelor’s degree in French language, literature and arts from the University of Lome. I hold a certificate in rural development reporting awarded in Italy by the Thomson Reuters Foundation and a certificate in A Science Journalism’s  Approach to Controversies: The Case of Vaccines.

Ask me about: Reading, writing, traveling, raising a child and enjoy studying the Bible 

My pronouns: He/him

Contact me: kbalao@icfj.org and on Twitter