Sunday, September 24, 2006

Upgrading of Ghana International Press Centre Internet Cafe completed

The upgrading and renovation works of the internet cafe at the Ghana International Press Centre have been completed in preparation for a basic ICT training for selected journalists throughout the country.

Fifteen new ultra-modern flat screen computers and other state of the art accessories have been installed at the cafe, bringing the number of computers in to 20, according to a statement signed in Accra on Thursday by Mr Bright Blewu, General Secretary of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).


It said the facility and training were provided by UNESCO/IPDC/Japanese Funds-in Trust (JFIT) Project. It said about 60 journalists were expected to benefit from the training with each group spending five days.

The statement said the main objective of the Project by UNESCO International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) was to strengthen the human resource capacity of journalists in ICT, and improve understanding of internet use and their ability to use simple and complex search engines for research.

It also gives an opportunity to improve the capacity of the trainees to use the computer for page planning, layout and design and improve on their skills in digital age journalism/on-line-journalism.

The total cost of the project including procurement and installation equipment, ICT needs assessment study and the training of participants is estimated at 66,670 dollars.
Source : GNA

Presse en ligne - Barthélémy Kouamé, premier président du réseau/online journlaists in Ivory Coast elects president

quick english summary below

Presse en ligne - Barthélémy Kouamé, premier président du réseau


Les professionnels du secteur de la presse en ligne de Côte d'Ivoire, ont créé leur association. Il s'agit du Réseau des professionnels de la presse en ligne de Côte d'Ivoire (REPPRELCI), qui a organisé son assemblée générale (AG) constitutive samedi dernier, à l'hôtel Ivoire, à Cocody. Au sortir de celle-ci, Barthélémy Kouamé, journaliste web à FratMat.net, seul candidat en lice, a été élu par acclamation président du réseau, pour un mandat de trois ans.

Ce dernier entend au nombre des actions à mener pour "élever le réseau au rang des associations qui comptent", privilégier la formation de ses membres. Le REPPRELCI, a-t-il souligné, se veut le creuset de la promotion du journalisme en ligne. Il regroupe les journalistes, les photographes, les correcteurs, les commerciaux et les techniciens qui évoluent dans cette sphère d'activité. Mme Martine Coffi-Studer, ministre délégué auprès du Premier ministre, chargée de la Communication, a été représentée à cette cérémonie par M. K ouman Alexis. Celui-ci a attiré l'attention des journalistes web sur le contenu des informations qu'ils transmettent sur l'internet qui est leur support de travail. Il leur a recommandé de veiller à en faire un véritable instrument de paix.

M. Alfred Dan Moussa, le directeur des rédactions de Fraternité Matin qui a fait une communication sur la place des journaux web dans le monde des médias, a relevé lui aussi le problème que pose souvent la source des informations diffusées sur Internet. Il a déploré le fait que "la circulation des messages sur la toile ne réponde à aucun code de conduite". Un autre point qu'il a relevé est la différence que les lecteurs ne font pas toujours entre le contenu d'un journal sur support écrit et celui en ligne qui est le travail d'une rédaction autonome, comme c'est le cas de Fraternité Matin.

Pour imposer FratMat.net, le directeur général de Fraternité Matin, M. Honorat Dé Yédagne, a annoncé que ce groupe est en train de signer un contrat ave c les opérateurs de mobiles pour qu'on puisse le lire sur les portables. Pour leurs actions en faveur de l'émergence d'un journalisme web, MM. Honorat Dé Yédagne, Richard Assamoi, conseiller technique à la communication à la Présidence de la république, Déby Dalli, directeur central de l'AIP, et Ibrahima Sy Savané, coordinateur national du projet panafricain des services en ligne, ont reçu des diplômes d'honneur du REPPRELCI.

Source : Fraternité Matin (Abidjan)

English

online journlaists in Ivory elects president
- Online journalists in Ivory Coast have created their own association, known as the Réseau des professionnels de la presse en ligne de Côte d'Ivoire (REPPRELCI). The association organised its founding general assembly recently and elected by acclamation online journalist Barthélémy Kouamé working with FratMat.net as president, with a three-year mandate.
ends

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

African journalists asked to “get together” …To help Africa`s development

Ms Lyndall Shope-Mafole, Director-General of the Department of Communication, South Africa has urged African journalist to get together to help the continent achieve the aims and objectives of the New Partnership For Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
“We cannot talk about Africa’s development outside the socio-economic programme of Africa Union (AU) and NEPAD.

She was addressing over four hundred journalists from all over Africa at the tenth anniversary of Highway Africa Conference held in Grahamstown in South Africa on the topic “Implementing World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in the Context of NEPAD”

She explained that WSIS is within the leadership of NEPAD especially for the people of South Africa .

She said ICT is very crucial for the socio –economic development of Africa and therefore every country must make its a point to invest in that sector. “ICT is a tool for Development”, she added.

She said NEPAD could have done better as at now but she was confident that in the areas of ICT, there has been a great improvement.

She cautioned that unless children in Africa have access to ICT they wouldn’t be able to stand a chance in the world even though they must have had basic education. “They would become educated illiterate”, she added.

She said investment in infrastructure is a key in socio- economic development.

Ms Lyndall Shope-Mafole cautioned that unless African countries understand their own problems, find solution to them, nobody can help them.

“We must put development in our own hands, try and understand them, it’s only than we can stand up to our development partners when necessary.”

By this way, she explained “no development partner from a developed country would just push down any policies down our throats”

She disagreed with the notion that African leaders just attend conferences, come out with great resolutions, only for the resolutions to be kept on shelves without being implemented.

According to Ms Shop-Mafole, decisions taken at the UN and other conference are very important because some of the decisions give Africa the hope that “we can also advance if we have the necessary tools, education and resources.”

She mentioned some of the aims and objectives NEPAD: to eradicate poverty; to place African countries, both individually and collectively, on the path of sustainable development and to halt the marginalisation of Africa .

Highway Africa Conference over the past ten years has continuously aimed at providing its delegates and participants with skills and knowledge which can be used to be better journalists and ICT and News Media champions.

Highway Africa conference on the move

The 10th Highway Africa Conference for journalists opened in Grahamstwon , South Africa on Monday with both resource persons and participants expressing high expectations to access quality information and tools for application in their professions.
Amongst the major highlights of the 10th edition of the conference which brought together about 500 journalists is the development of a statement to be released next year to coincide with Ghana’s Golden Jubilee.

Highway Africa Director Chris Kabwato explained that Ghana 's independence in 1957 remained in the African consciousness for its deep symbolism - the break with a brutal colonial past and the birth of a new Africa .

“But for 50 years since then our continent has had a chequered history. We remain with fond memories of the vision of Kwame Nkrumah and the possibility of a different kind of Africa.

“Because we are media professionals, as we celebrate with Ghana and all Africa, we wish to take stock of the fate and fortunes of the Fourth Estate in Africa. Where have we come from? Where are we now? What do we aspire for? The declaration will attempt to answer these 3 questions.”

Highway Africa is an annual ICT conference hosted by the Rhodes University in Grahamstown , South Africa .

Among other programmes such as training and workshops, the conference each year aims to discuss issues discuss that relate to Internet governance, ICT policy and media for democracy.

This year’s conference is on the theme “Celebrations, Reflections and Future Directions” and is sponsored by the South African Broadcasting Corporation SABC), the Absa Bank and the South African Department of Communications among others organisations

GNA

NIGERIA AGAIN SWOOP AWARDS AT HIGHWAY AFRICA-06

Nigeria has this year swoop for the second time the African media awards on Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) at the 10th Highway Africa (HA) conference held in Grahamstown, South Africa, carting away six out of the 22 total awards.

It would be recalled that last year, Nigeria got over six awards at HA, especially through the African Information Society Initiative (AISI).
The awards which came in two folds included the SABC-Highway Africa Awards for Innovative Use of New Media in Africa and AISI.

While the HA awards were organised by Journalism Department of Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa in partnership with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in recognition and promotion of creative, innovative and appropriate use of new media technology on the continent, AISI was put together by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) based in Ethiopia.
Both awards were presented simultaneously at a ceremony well-attended at the Guy Berger Auditorium, Grahamstown, Tuesday night.
Leading the pack in this year’s awards at HA-06 is the Senior Reporter on ICT with Daily Champion Group of Newspapers Lagos-Nigeria and pioneer member of the Highway Africa News Agency (HANA) editorial team, Mr. Remmy Nweke, who took the cap as the HANA Journalist of the Year and was presented with Fujitsu/Siemens laptop and a souvenir.

It would be recalled that Mr. Nweke, who has won several international media awards was nominated as the first Nigerian in the HANA team since 2003 and has been consistent and a boost to the agency, which specialises in ICT information dissemination for the purpose of African renaissance through the media, according to the Executive Director, Highway Africa, Mr. Chris Kabwato.
This is coming as 2006 is the first time HA instituted the best staff award to further boost ICT reportage on the continent.

Also, five other Nigerians, namely Mr. Don Pedro Aganbi of the ICT Africa on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA network), Mr. Emmanual Okwuke of New Age and Ms. Evelyn Tagbo, as well as Mr. Chima Akwaja of Financial Standards, Mr. Segun Oruame of ITEdge, equally emerged first and second category winners in the AISI awards.
However, Cameroon got four out of the total awards for grab at HA-06.

In addition, the SABC-HA award on individual/student category went to David Kezio-Musoke a HANA journalist from Uganda, while the non-profit category was grabbed by Jo’s Toolkit, a website created for student and grassroots media created by two fourth-year new media students, Carly Riz and Gregor Rohrig, even as the corporate award went to Andnetwork (African News Dimension’s Network).

In addition, the SABC-HA award on individual/student category went to David Kezio-Musoke a HANA journalist from Uganda, while the non-profit category was grabbed by Jo’s Toolkit, a website created for student and grassroots media created by two fourth-year new media students, Carly Riz and Gregor Rohrig, even as the corporate award went to Andnetwork (African News Dimension’s Network).
While Nigeria took the first categories in the AISI-GTZ Media awards on promoting the Information Society (IS) on TV, AISI-IDRC award on Reporting on ICT policy and AISI-OSIWA reporting on ICTs and Rural communities, Nigeria also got the second categories AISI-IICD award on local content and local content applications in that order.

Cameroon, on the other hand, went home with the first prize AISI-GTZ awards on promoting the Information Society, through Ms Marie Noelle Guichi and Ms Bapidi-Mbom Didier Parfait on print and radio respectively. While also Mr Roger Taakam and Ms Jeanine Fankam emerged first in the local content as well as reporting on research and innovation categories in that order.

Uganda, nevertheless, got two winners in the first and second categories of AISI-OSIWA best female reporter and reporting on research and innovation through Ms Ester Nakkazi and Mr. David Muwanga respectively.Other countries that won in the single categories at the AISI awards include Ghanaian Jacob Kofi Mensah who took second category on Promoting IS for print, Kenyan Eric Ombok also on second category on radio.

Equally, Algerian Laid Zaghlami came first in the local content applications, Malian Salif Sanogo came second on promoting IS on Tv, with Mr. Guedegbe Gerard of Benin coming second category in Reporting on ICTs and rural communities and Zambian Timothy Kasonde Kasolo also coming second in Reporting on ICT policy.

Monday, September 11, 2006

Highway Africa kicks of at Rhodes

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This year marks the 10th anniversary of Highway Africa. It is an initiative of the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes. HA Director Chris Kabwato is based in the School. The School of Journalism and Media Studies is partnered with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and a number of other partners, donors and sponsors.

More than 500 journalists from 40 African countries are expected to attend the event. Highway Africa’s website comments that the conference will be “a time for critical reflection on and celebration of the role that new media has played - and will play - in democracy and development.”
“This watershed conference will assess the state of African media, especially in regard to harnessing new technologies, by looking ahead as well as back.”

The Conference was opened last night (Sunday 10 September), with a number of dignitaries including Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor Saleem Badat gathering to welcome delegates. Led by Professor Guy Berger, Head of the School of Journalism and Media Studies, guests placed items into a ‘time capsule’ — a box which will be sealed and only re-opened in 10 years’ time. The ‘time capsule’ contained, among other things, an old cellular phone, Professor Berger’s first laptop and a bottle of good South African red wine!

For more details about Highway Africa, and for a full programme of speakers and events, visit http://www.highwayafrica.ru.ac.za/

source : http://www.ru.ac.za/news/wordpress/archives/112

higway africa 2006 opens in rhodes university grahamstow

The Africa Media Matrix, the new home of the Rhodes University 's school of journalism was the venue of the 10th annual high way africa conference under the theme "celebrations, Reflections and Future Directions"
delegates from over 42 African countries are participating the conference running from 11th Sept to 13th Sept 2006

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

PRESS RELEASE :-BBC launches Africa Radio Awards with an appeal for entries

PRESS RELEASE :-BBC launches Africa Radio Awards with an appeal for entries
By topi lyambila
Aug 30, 2006, 00:03


Radio listeners across Africa are being urged to tell the BBC about their favourite radio station for the first ever BBC Africa Radio Awards. Radio fans and broadcasters alike are being encouraged to talk to the BBC about possible entries for the awards which launch on Monday 4 September, and culminate in a final in Nairobi, Kenya on 21 May 2007.

The BBC Africa Radio Awards recognise and celebrate seven areas of achievement - highlighting the stations and individual broadcasters who have earned their audiences’ respect and gained popularity for quality programmes. The categories are:

Radio Station of the Year
New Radio Station of the Year (launched since September 2004)
News Journalist of the Year
Sports Journalist of the Year
Local On-Air Campaign of the Year
Interactive/Talk Show of the Year
Young Broadcaster of the Year (entrants must be 20 years of age or under on 31 December 2006)

The BBC Africa Radio Awards will be judged in two phases. The first phase is regional heats for East, West and Southern Africa. The winners will be selected by independent panels of judges, chosen for their knowledge of the region and its media. The winning regional entries will be put forward for the pan-African awards.

Anyone interested in recommending an entry should contact the BBC by 15 November 2006. The closing date for entries is 31 December 2006. There are a number of ways to contact the BBC:

Email: africaradioawards@bbc.co.uk
Website: www.bbcworldservice.com/africaradioawards (launches 4 September 2006)
Text: +44 7786 20 20 25
Post: Room 500 NE, Bush House, Strand, London, WC2B 4PH

Jerry Timmins, Head of Africa and Middle East Region, BBC World Service, said: “Radio is such an important medium in Africa, informing millions about what is going on around them. The radio scene is evolving very rapidly, and as a radio broadcaster ourselves, we are keen to highlight this evolution, encourage the hard work of African journalists and producers and recognise some of the great programming being made.

"The BBC is primarily known for the quality of its journalism. In Africa this is delivered to a measured audience of nearly 60 million listeners. And they talk to us a great deal. You can hear our audiences in our daily output, commenting and informing our news and discussion programmes.

"We now want to encourage them to tell us about the stations who work alongside us so we can boost the African talent which we come across so frequently in our work and celebrate it on air. We want them to tell us about the stations and staff who have really impressed them, so together we can shine a light on the best of African Radio."

The judging panel:

West Africa
Prof Dora Akunyili, Director General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control of Nigeria, chairs the panel for West Africa. The BBC is represented in this panel by Bola Masuro, Senior Producer and Presenter, African News and Current Affairs, BBC World Service.

East Africa
Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, Special Envoy of the Organisation of African Unity and former Prime Minister of Tanzania, chairs the panel for East Africa. The BBC is represented in this panel by the Ugandan-born popular BBC World Service presenter, Paul Bakibinga.

Southern Africa
Tsitsi Dangarembga, a writer from Zimbabwe, chairs the panel for Southern Africa. The BBC is represented in this panel by Zambian-born Maureen Nkandu-Mundea, who presents flagship BBC World Service programme, Focus on Africa.

In addition, the BBC's interactive programme, Network Africa is running a competition for listener judges. One listener from each region - East, West and Southern Africa - will be invited to take part in the regional judging process. The competition invites listeners to submit a 200-word essay on the subject “How Radio Changed My World” by 31 October 2006.

Ends

For more information contact:

Lala Najafova, International Publicist, BBC World Service
+44(0)207 557 2944; lala.najafova@bbc.co.uk

Christine George, Assistant Publicist, BBC World Service
+44(0)207 557 1142; christine.george@bbc.co.uk

Notes to Editors

BBC World Service is an international radio and online broadcaster delivering programmes and services in 33 languages. It uses multiple platforms to reach 163 million listeners globally, including SW, AM, FM, digital satellite and cable channels. It has around 2,000 partner radio stations which take BBC content, and numerous partnerships supplying content to mobile phones. Its international online sites, which include audio and visual content and offer users opportunities to interact directly with world events, receive over 500 million page impressions, attracting around 33 million unique users a month.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/


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