PenPlusBytes

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 31, 2009 - Finalists for the 2009 Online Journalism Awards, many pushing the envelope of innovation in digital storytelling and information sharing, were announced today by the Online News Association and its partner, the School of Communication at the University of Miami.

A team of 12 journalists representing a diverse cross-section of the industry met Aug. 27 and 28 at the university's Coral Gables, Fla., campus to select the finalists, which range from independent and nonprofit news and community sites to major media and international organizations. The winners will be announced at the 2009 ONA Conference and Online Journalism Awards Banquet on Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Hilton San Francisco.

"We were regularly awed, inspired and delighted by the quality and innovation evident online today," said Anthony Moor, Deputy Managing Editor of The Dallas Morning News, who, along with AP Digital's Director of Online Services Ruth Gersh, co-chairs the Online Journalism Awards Committee.

This year, changes were introduced to acknowledge the important role of emerging technology, the influence of the independent digital journalist and the growth of community reporting efforts. Six awards now come with a total of $30,000 in prize money, courtesy of the Gannett Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the General Excellence in Online Journalism Award was expanded to include "micro sites."

The finalists are:

Knight Award for Public Service

• The Chauncey Bailey Project
• Michael J. Berens and Ken Armstrong, The Seattle Times, Culture of Resistance
• Toronto Star, Crime and Punishment
• Wisconsin State Journal, Down to a Whisper: State's Native Languages Threatened with Loss

Gannett Foundation Award for Technical Innovation in the Service of Digital Journalism

• Associated Press, AP Mobile
• Attributor
• Medill School, Northwestern University, News Mixer
• Publish2

General Excellence in Online Journalism, Micro Site

• Center for Public Integrity
• Gotham Gazette
• St. Louis Beacon

General Excellence in Online Journalism, Small Site

• MediaStorm
• PolitiFact, Staff of the St. Petersburg Times
• ProPublica

General Excellence in Online Journalism, Medium Site

• The Daily Beast
• LasVegasSun.com
• NewsOK.com, from the OPUBCO Communications Group Staff
• spokesman.com, The Spokesman-Review

General Excellence in Online Journalism, Large Site

• bbcnews.com, BBC News
• nytimes.com, The New York Times
• Wired.com
• washingtonpost.com, Washington Post Digital

General Excellence in Online Journalism, Non-English, Small Site

• Radio Azattyq, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Kazakh Service (Kazakhstan)
• Il Centro, Quotidiano dell'Abruzzo (Italy)
• lainformacion.com (Spain)

General Excellence in Online Journalism, Non-English, Large Site

• SOITU.ES (Spain)
• Lanacion.com (Argentina)
• Rue89 (France)

Breaking News, Small Site

• Pressconnects.com/Press & Sun-Bulletin, Massacre on Front Street
• The Daily Astorian, Gearhart Plane Crash
• The Desert Sun, Desert Hot Springs Gang Sweep

Breaking News, Medium Site

• Knoxnews.com, Church Shooting
• LasVegasSun.com, Snow
• NewsOK.com, from the OPUBCO Communications Group Staff, Ice Storm
• The Dallas Morning News, Stadium Collapse

Breaking News, Large Site

• BBC News, Mumbai Attacks
• The New York Times, Plane Crash in the Hudson
• Houston Chronicle/chron.com, Hurricane Ike

Specialty Site Journalism, Small Site

The mobile computing revolution is clearly upon us, thanks to the growth of Web-friendly smartphones. It's an area rich with opportunity for news organizations, but one that's also vastly more complicated than the Web. Figuring out how and where to get started can quickly get overwhelming.

So let's break down some of the issues involved and look at some ways to get started: 

1. Optimize the current site. It's amazing how many news sites are unnecessarily slow to load, or look broken or clunky. To look at two sites that have done this well, grab a standard smartphone and visit The New York Times or The Washington Post on the phone's browser.

The Post just launched their re-designed site in early August. The new site was designed specifically for mobile platforms, around five basic content categories, and with more simple navigation. This last point is particularly important, because people will consume news and information on the phone in ways that are different than the Web. I use my BlackBerry to get quick updates during those in-between moments, like standing in a line. So clicking right into content is critical.

According to MediaPost, the company is also assigning two full-time editors to managing mobile Web content. The new site also was built in-house, according to MediaPost. But there are third-parties, such as MobileTech of Norway (which is working with some Cox Newspapers).

2. Buttons and Bookmarks. Several news organizations, including the Washington Post and The New York Times, have created buttons that I can put right on my BlackBerry. They are just links that open up the phone's browser. But it's still ultra-convenient.

3. Applications. This is the next step up the ladder, and where things start to get quite a bit more complex. There are six major mobile platforms for smartphones:

- Apple's iPhone
- Google's Android
- BlackBerry
- Nokia's Symbian
- Windows Mobile
- Palm Pre

Except for the iPhone and Pre, each system appears on numerous different devices. Each platform requires separate development, and the gadgets it runs on may require further tweaks. So, already your head is pounding.

The best advice is to pick one and get started. Of course, for most folks, the starting point lately is the iPhone, given all the buzz. Don't kid yourself that there will be huge bucks in selling an iPhone app. The App store already has more than 40,000 apps and counting.

But despite the complexity, the advantages of building an app on any platform are huge, in terms of creating additional features, functionality and engagement.

Let me point to one example that's become my favorite mobile news application: The Wall Street Journal's BlackBerry application. I have a BlackBerry Curve.  The Journal's application continuously downloads summaries of every article being published. When I'm ready to read, all the headlines are there are my phone where I can scan them quickly. When I click in the headline, a summary opens. At that point, I can click to read the full article, which takes a moment to read. But by then, I know that really want to read it. The beauty of this is that when I'm ready to consume the Journal, it's ready for me. In the mobile news experience, these few seconds I save on every click make a huge difference.

Different news organizations are also taking different approaches to developing these. The New York Times has an in-house team that built their iPhone app. The Toronto Globe and Mail worked with a Toronto-based firm Spreed to develop its iPhone app. 

4. Location-based applications. As mobile is evolving, the real opportunity is to leverage the power of knowing where the consumer is located. More and more phones have some kind of location-aware capability, either through GPS, through accessing the cell phone towers, or using wi-fi networks (the iPhone uses all three). For users of these devices, the issue of "where" they are is crucial to the questions they are asking, the news they're seeking, and the information they need.

I haven't found too many news organizations that have explored this yet, with the exception of the Associated Press. When I was using the AP's iPhone app, it would recognize my location and then served up stories from the closest publications.

But hunt around the iTunes app store and check out location-based apps from folks like Yelp. When I searched for a coffee shop, it gave me a list of results ranked by distance from where I stood.

That sort of things remains far down the road for most news organizations. But that should be a sign of how badly we're lagging, and why every newsroom should be getting started today. 

http://www.knightdigitalmediacenter.org/leadership_blog/comments/mobilizing_for_mobile_are_news_organizations_lagging/

Now for the good news" – Red Cross Red Crescent calls for positive stories about Africa

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) – the world's largest humanitarian and development organization – wants to challenge the frequent negative portrayals of Africa. To do so, the organization has launched the Good News for Africa competition - an opportunity for journalists to showcase their stories that highlight the positive developments happening every day in Africa..

"This is not about ignoring the real challenges faced by communities on this continent," explained Alasan Senghore, head of IFRC West and Central Africa Zone. "There are huge challenges that need to be overcome, and these need to be identified and analyzed. But at the same time, there are untold stories about resilience and strength in the face of this adversity."
The IFRC commissioned independent research into western perceptions about Africa in late 2008. The research confirmed what many in Africa – and in humanitarian organizations working in Africa – already felt. The use of negative terms were three times more frequent than positive ones in the media coverage of Africa.

"We want to celebrate the solutions and strengths that help communities overcome and even prevent disasters, health crises and other shocks. These are the seeds of development, and they need to be celebrated and emphasized. These stories are all too often lost amidst stories that emphasize corruption, disasters and conflict," said Alasan Senghore.

The Good News for Africa competition is open to any journalist who regularly works in the production of news for any newspaper, periodical, news service or television or radio news organization in Africa. Journalists are invited to submit their stories or pieces for radio and television that best show the positive developments that are continuously taking place in Africa. Whilst humanitarian and development work is obviously important in this context, journalists are free to submit stories that highlight other positive issues.
Submissions will be accepted up to 1 November, 2009. The winners of the competition will be announced at the IFRC's General Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya, which is being held from 18-21 November. The Good News for Africa competition was originally announced at the October 2008 Red Cross Red Crescent Pan African Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa.

For more information on the Good News for Africa competition, or to submit a piece, journalists can email good.news@ifrc.org or visit www.ifrc.org/believe. A selection of entries will be featured on the IFRC's website in the lead up to the announcement of competition winners.
For more information, please contact:

Noora Kero, communications manager (IFRC, Dakar) Tel: + 221 77 637 66 96
Moustapha Diallo, communication officer (IFRC, Dakar) Tel: +221 77 450 10 04
Paul Conneally, manager, media and external communications (IFRC, Geneva) Tel: +41 79 308 9809

The IFRC, the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross together constitute the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. For further information on International Federation activities, please visit our web site: www.ifrc.org

The 'African Pulitzer'

The FAIR African investigative journalism awards reward the article or programme that stands out in investigative quality, newsworthiness, relevance and importance of the subject.
The Award also includes an Editors' Courage award, extended to the African editor who has courageously, in the face of pressures, threats and obstacles, published or aired a good quality and important investigative piece.
To qualify for the Investigative Journalism Award, nominated articles and programmes must have been published or aired between 1 July 2008 and 1 July 2009.
Nominations of editors for the Editors' Courage Award must also concern articles or programmes that were published or aired between 1 July 2008 and 1 July 2009. All nominations must be sent, with an explanatory letter,by email to facilitator@fairreporters.org before 30 September 2009.

The FAIR African IJ Awards will be awarded at the African Investigative Journalism Conference, 25–28 October 2009,in Johannesburg, South Africa.

http://www.fairreporters.org/?showcontent_home&global[_id]=1105

Bai-Bai Sesay reports from Freetown-Sierra Leone

 

Communication design in the newspaper and magazine industry in the West African sub region has been neglected for so long. But the intervention of the International Institute for ICT Journalism Penplusbytes with finances from Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) and support from Highway Africa held a recent workshop for West African Design Communicators in Cotonou, Benin Republic.

 

The past workshop demonstrates the importance of communication designers which according to the organizers was part of the Penplusbytes capacity building programme for communication designers in West Africa.

 

I was fortunate to attend the workshop among 30 West African communication designers. But the truth of the matter is that publishers of newspapers and magazines don't put much attention in this area. They rather prefer to encourage reporters and editors for media training programmes and neglect design communicators. This is why when someone looks at the way newspapers and magazines are operating especially in the English West Africa countries; one may really want to know whether the journalism institutions or universities have any training programmes for design communicators.

 

It is really difficult to see media institutions or universities offering design courses for students at university level. But I believe there are few institutions in French speaking countries doing similar courses because I can still remember a colleague during our design training course in Benin telling of an institution in his country offering such training programme. Because of the constraints in this area of journalism, Penplusbytes decided to come to the aid of media establishment in the West Africa sub region to start organising such programmes.

 

In his words, the President of Penplusbytes, Kwami Ahiabenu II, told this media that design communicators and graphic design play a significant role in the media adding that most training programmes for the media fail to know their important role in the media.

 

"We have come out with this second workshop to train design communicators and graphic designers in the sub region with the hope that they will train others locally in their various countries," he said

 

In a statement, the Programme Manager of Open Society for West Africa (OSIWA), Ben Akon explained the importance of the workshop and advised design communicators to pay more attention on the training programme with the expectation that they will achieve a lot of new things from the workshop.

 

"We are expecting newspaper and magazine designers to put more efforts in their work so that their industry in the sub region will be improved compared to other countries worldwide", he pointed out.

 

Togolese and South African design communicator experts, Nahmsath Yabouri and Shalen Gajadhar respectively spoke extensively on the element of newspaper and magazine design, theory of colour and the use of graphics design to name but a few.

 

The two experts went further to give an overview of the training programme on newspaper and magazine design and the shortcomings of newspaper design in Africa.

 

According to a Nigerian born Eunice Ayo-Aderate, an Assistant Editor working for a Nigerian monthly newspaper, The PUNCH most media outfits don't consider the training of graphic designers as an important thing.

 

Based on her experience, she went further, the average media outfit in Nigeria concentrates on the training of journalists such as Reporters, Columnists, Online Editors to name but a few without thinking about Graphic Designers.

 

"This is why graphic designers don't rise beyond certain levels in the media industry especially in Africa", She said.

 

"Graphic designers are overworked and underpaid. Training Graphic designers at university level are highly recommended to make their relevance in the media industry better appreciated", she observed.

 

In his words, a newspaper publisher with lots of experiences in the media industry told participants that communication design especially in newspaper, magazine and online publications is a very vital tool for designers in modern media industry.

 

Speaking among 30 English and French participants from different media outlets in West Africa, the Sierra Leonean newspaper publisher who is also a graphic designer told this press that communication design is an important area in the media that should not be neglected especially in the West Africa sub region where there are no such opportunities.

 

"Penplusbytes with support from Highway Africa and OSIWA will help in bringing design communicators together to discuss issues relating to communication design", he concluded.

 

In Sierra Leone the biggest challenge is keeping the reporters and typists interested in graphic design so that there is enough room for all and this can only be achieved if up to date training and latest development in graphic design is transferred to newspapers and magazine media houses rather than going to commercial business enterprises to do their layout and design before publications.

 

This is a serious issue in the media industry in Sierra Leone but some newspaper houses are slowly gaining momentum as they are now doing their designs in their offices. In view of that we need media organisations to continue the awareness campaign on such issues in the training of design communicators in West Africa. Penplusbytes financed by OSIWA has already started these training programmes in the sub region.

 

In conclusion, design communicators are of the opinion that graphic design and the media including information, communication and technology cannot be divorced as both needs to complement each other for the benefit of all. Thus, there is a genuine need to devise/ create avenues whereby information becomes easily accessible to the public.

 

The author Bai-Bai Sesay is the current acting editor and also communication designer of the Independent Observer newspaper based in Sierra Leone. For any comment email the author at baibaisesay@yahoo.com, baibaisesay@hotmail.com

A. Pre-Conference Workshops

1. Companies and Markets for Journalists (31 August – 4 September, Reg Rumney, Centre Economics Journalism in Africa). This is a closed workshop. Please do not apply.
2. Using New Media in Journalism (31 August – 8 September, Professor Peter Verweij, University of Utrecht Supported by SA Department of Communications). This is a closed workshop. Please do not apply.
3. OSIWA New Media Workshop for Journalism Educators (West Africa). This is a closed workshop. Please do not apply.
4. Effective Media Management: Print & Broadcast, 6 – 8 September, in association with the Sol Plaatje Media Leadership Institute, Grocott's Mail and Rhodes Music Radio. This is a closed workshop. Please do not apply.

B. Digital Citizen Indaba

Sunday 6 September: Please access the full programme at www.dcindaba.com

C. Pre-Conference Association Meetings

• The Africa Editors Forum (TAEF) Meeting, 5 September
• South African Editors Forum Meeting (SANEF), 6 September
• Forum for African Investigative Reporters, 5 & 6 September (tbc)
• Southern Africa Media (SAMSA), 9 & 10 September

D. Social Programme

• Dinners

- Saturday 5 September, Telkom Dinner, Thomas Pringle Hall (strictly by invitation only)
- Saturday 5 September, Digital Citizen Indaba Opening Reception, Nelson Mandela Dining Hall, supported by HIVOS and American International Health Alliance
- Sunday 6 September, MTN Opening Reception, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
- Monday 7 September, Absa Africa Night Dinner, 1820 Settlers Monument
- Tuesday 8 September, Highway Africa New Media Awards in association with OSIWA, 1820 Settlers Monument

• Lunches

- Saturday 5 September (sponsored by Rhodes University)
- Sunday 6 September (sponsored by DoC)
- Monday 7 September (sponsored by Telkom)
- Tuesday 8 September (sponsored by 2010 Local Organising Committee)

• Breakfast

- Absa Networking Breakfast, Tuesday, 8 September

E. Highway Africa New Media Awards

Tuesday 8 September, 1820 Settlers Monument

F. Exhibitions

The African Council for Communication Education (ACCE) meeting opens in Accra-live report

See posts by By Guy Berger below

African communication education: sunrise or false dawn?

Thirty-five years after an association of African communication educators was mooted in Accra, some 100 delegates gathered in the same city on 11 August 2009 for a conference of the African Council for Communication Education.

The ACCE has been more-or-less moribund on a continental scale for the past decade, notwithstanding a small presence in Nigeria and Kenya. A financial scandal at one point in its history lost it the patronage of UNESCO, and its own membership fell away.

Opening the Accra event, Ghana's vice president, John Dramani Mahama, quipped: "May I have privilege and honour to declare the ACCE resurrected, … sorry, to declare this conference open."

A speech read on behalf of veteran Prof Alfred Opubar noted a disconnect between those who theorise communication in Africa but who cannot communicate the relevance of what they do, and those who communicate but without the benefit of theory.

More seriously, he pointed out that ACCE was remote from power centres that determine national and international agendas, and from bodies like Ecowas, SADC, African Union, UNESCO national commissions, and broadcasting regulators. And he added: "Where are our websites, where are our bloggers?"

Earlier, ACCE founder member Prof Alex Quarmyne recalled that the organisation at one historical point had changed its name from the Council "of" Communications Education, to the Council "for" Communications Education.

For his part, Opubar proposed changing the word "Council" in ACCE to "Conference" so as to symbolise a new revival.

Reading his remarks was well-known African media scholar Cecil Blake, who also spoke independently about revitalising ACCE. Blake said he was heartened by the event because participants were for the first time paying their own way to an ACCE function, without depending on others. "We are seasoned in the art of begging," he said, by way of explaining his excitement.

ACCE''s future was touched on by Ghanaian Vice president Mahama who said the organisation had a valuable role to play in advising governments on communications policies and strategies with a view to achieving the Millenium Development Goals.

The theme of the current conference is much wider than this, however. Its title is "Communication education & practice in Africa – a social contract for the 21st century".

Prof Kwami Karikari of the Media Foundation of West Africa told the gathering that a "social contract" implied shared interests, a sense of community, and a public sphere. Underpinning this needed to be peace, tolerance, human rights, and development (amongst others). The mission of communication education, he argued, was to respond to such needs.

The "social contract" view of communication is not only broad, but also consensual in orientation, unlike a narrower focus on journalism which includes consideration of oppositional communication.

On the other hand, some speakers like conference convenor Dr Audrey Gadzekpo did acknowledge the importance of media pluralism, and especially radio, for democratisation and fair elections.

For ACCE, perhaps the biggest challenge for organisational coherence and longevity is precisely its breadth and glossing over of tensions.

When I attended a meeting of the organisation Cape Town in 1996, the organisation seemed hamstrung by the very wide mix of academics – ranging from those examining health communications through to those mainly interested in journalism.

The delegates back then also included government communicators (and some propagandists). At that time, they were pretty reluctant for ACCE to protest the arrest at the time of Cameroon's most well-known editor, Pius Njawe. And so the organisation proved unable to rise to the occasion.

If a revived ACCE is to succeed, it needs to understand what went wrong earlier. And if it is to agree on a "social contract" of sorts, with actions to follow, then its supporters could do well to acknowledge the diversity of interests and even contradictions – both within their own ranks and within communication more broadly.

Or is my journalism-centric mind being too blinkered as to the possibilities?

(Twitter tag for the Accra conference: #acce09)

http://nml.ru.ac.za/blog/guy-berger/2009/08/11/african-communication-education-sunrise-or-false-dawn.html

live report

The African Council for Communication Education (ACCE) meeting opens in Accra
follow live proceedings at www.twitter.com/penplusbytes

connect via #acce09

Pictures at http://twitpic.com/photos/penplusbytes

ACCE CONFERENCE 2009

11-13 August 2009

UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON.

FINAL DRAFT PROGRAMME

	Day 1 – Tuesday, 11 August 2009
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.	Registration
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.	FORMAL OPENING Theme: Communication Education and Practice in Africa - A Social Contract for the 21st Century?
	Welcome Remarks				-          Dr Audrey Gadzekpo, Acting Director, School of Communication Studies, University of Ghana (Legon) -          Prof. Nii Boi Tagoe, Vice Chancellor, University of Ghana
	Chairperson's Opening Remarks				Ms. Joyce Aryee, Executive Director, Ghana Chamber of Mines
	The Founding Values and Mission of ACCE				Prof Alex Quarmyne Former UNESCO Regional Communication Adviser for Africa Founding ACCE Member
	The importance of Revitalizing ACCE				Prof. Cecil Blake
	The Challenges of a Social Contract Perspective in Communication Education and Practice in Africa				Prof Kwame Karikari, Executive Director Media Foundation for West Africa
	ACCE – Offering Leadership and Transformation with a Social Contract for the 21st Century				Prof Alfred Opubor, Coordinator Secretary-General West African News-media and Development Centre, WANAD
	Official Opening Address				His Excellency, Mr John Mahama [To be confirmed] Vice-President of the Republic of Ghana
	Chairperson's Closing Remarks				Ms. Joyce Aryee
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.	Break
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.	PLENARY 1 – COMMUNICATION AND DEMOCRACY CHAIRMAN, Mr. KOJO YANKAH, PRESIDENT, AFRICAN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION
	Prof Abah Adebayo	USA (Washington  & Lee)			Global Enough to be Local? Nigerian Media & Non-governmental Entities of Power
	Dr Audrey Gadzekpo	Ghana (Legon)			The Media and Ghanaian Elections: Peace-brokers, War-mongers and Information-Providers
	Mr Zvenyika Eckson Mugari	Zimbabwe (Gweru)			Media Structure to Prosper Despotism in Perpetuity: The Statics and Dynamics of Zimbabwe Mediascapes since 2000
	Mr Simon Kimani Rugu	Kenya (Journalists' Association)			Media & Democratic Governance in Africa
12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.	Lunch
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.	PANEL  1		PANEL 2	PANEL  4		GRADUATE STUDIES FORUM (Co-ordinator: Professor Alfred Opubor)
3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.	Break
4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.	PANEL  3		PANEL 5	PANEL 6		PANEL 9
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.	SOCIAL EVENT: OPENING COCKTAIL – GHANA PRESS CENTRE

 

	Day 2 – Wednesday, 12 August 2009
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.	PLENARY 2 – COMMUNICATION THEORY CHAIRMAN -  DR. ROBERT WHITE, ST. AUGUSTINE UNIVERSITY OF TANZANIA
	Dr Victor Ayedun-Aluma	Nigeria (Lagos)	Theorizing Community Media in Africa
	Dr Hopeton Dunn	Jamaica	Engendering a Techno-Cultural Economy: Opportunities & Challenges for the Global South
	Prof Richard Tamba M'Bayo	Nigeria (Adamawa)	Intellectual Poverty & Theory Building in African Mass Communication Research
	Prof Cornelius Pratt & Prof Thomas L Jacobson	USA (Temple)	Jurgen Habermas' Theory of Communicative Action: A Field Guide to Population Management in Africa
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.	Break
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.	PLENARY 3 – PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, TRAINING & STANDARDS                                                   CHAIRMAN – MR. MARTIN LOH, NAFTI
	Ms Wilna Quarmyne	Ghana (GCRN)	Training for Empowerment:  Community Radio - A Different Kind of Radio, A Different Kind of Professional
	Mr Terje Skjerdal	Norway	Professional dilemmas for Ethiopian state media journalists
	Prof. Herman Wasserman	UK (Sheffield) & South Africa (Stellenbosch)	Often they cry with the people: The professional identities of South African tabloid journalists
	Prof. Guy Berger	South Africa (Rhodes)	Social Networking and African Journalists: A Social Capital Perspective on Highway Africa as the Continent's Largest Annual Gathering of African Media Practitioners
12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.	Lunch BOOK LAUNCH
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.	PANEL 7	PANEL 10	PANEL 14	PANEL
3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.	Break
4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.	PANEL 8	PANEL 11	PANEL 15	PANEL
2:00-3:30 p.m.	WORKSHOP ON ICT JOURNALISM & BLOGGING
6:00-7:30 p.m.	SOCIAL EVENT: TIME WITH NAFTI (SCREENING OF SHORT FILMS)

 

	Day 3 – Thursday, 13 August 2009 ACCE BUSINESS DAY
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.	PLENARY 1 – GETTING PUBLISHED IN THE AFRICA MEDIA REVIEW:  PROCESSES AND PROSPECTS -          PROF. PETER NWOSU, TENESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY CHAIRMAN, MR. KABIR DANGOGO, TIMEX COMMUNICATIONS, NIGERIA
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.	Break
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.	PLENARY 2 – BUILDING THE FUTURE OF ACCE Panelists - Ms Alexina Arthur, Former President, ACCE; Mr. Des Wilson, others to be confirmed CHAIRMAN, PROF. CECIL BLAKE, UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.	Lunch
2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.	ACCE Organizational Matters – Elections or Formation of Interim Co-ordinating Committee
3:30 p.m.	Free
7:00 p.m.	FORMAL CLOSING COCKTAIL
c

 

(1)    COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE & CULTURE – Panel A                                                                                          CHAIRMAN -  PROF. CECIL BLAKE, UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
1.		Akanmu, Dayo &	Nigeria (Lagos)	An Assessment of the Communicative Potentialities of Iyaalu (Yoruba Mother Drum) as an Example of Community Communication
		Fowowe, Simeon Sunday
2.	Mr	Jimo, Jide Peter	Nigeria (Lagos)	Transculturation Trends in Africa: A Study of Hip-Hop Music in Yoruba Language South-West Nigeria
3.	Mr	Nura, Ibrahim	Nigeria (Kano)	A semiotic analysis of Posters use in Hausa Cultural environment of Northern Nigeria
4.	Mr	Bolaji, Ezekiel & Adebanjo, Mopelola	Nigeria (Lagos)	Communication, Language & Culture: A Study of Yoruba Semiotics
(2)    COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE & CULTURE – Panel B                                                                                              CHAIR – TBA
1.	Dr.	Nunoo, Francis & Evans, Stewart	Ghana	School Children's Use of Poetry and Songs in Conveying Environmental Messages
2.	Ms	Mensah, Joyce	Ghana (Winneba)	The Soap Opera, Mass Culture & Education in Ghana: Urban Youth Perception of Sunset Beach & Sun City Soaps
3.	Mr	Onobe, Melchizeded James	Nigeria (Nasarawa)	Mass Media, Mass Disorientation & the Dilemma of African Culture & Identity in a Contrived Global Village
4.	Mr	Okorie, Nelson	Nigeria (Ogun)	Nollywood & Its Cultural Effect on African Development

 

(3)    COMMUNICATION & GENDER                                                                          CHAIRPERSON – MS. ALEXINA ARTHUR, UNIVERSITY OF GHANA
1.	Dr	Ashong, Ashong C.	Nigeria (Akwa Ibom)	Gender Representation in Communication Education & Practice in Nigeria: A 21st Century Agenda
2.	Mr	Batta, Herbert E.	Nigeria (Uyo)	Gender Representation in Communication Education & Practice in Nigeria: A 21st Century Agenda [Note Papers 1 & 2 under Communication & Gender have the same title.]
3.	Dr	Kalupa. Frank	USA (Virginia)	Women in Public Relations Roles Impacting Professionalization in Africa
4.	Mr	Ganiyu, Mudathir	Nigeria	Portrayal of Women in Nigerian Home Video Films: A Content Analysis of Selected Nigerian Home Video
5.	Ms.	Akrofi-Quarcoo, Sarah	Ghana	Beyond cooking and homemaking: an analysis of gendered programmes on Radio Ghana

 

 

 

(4)    COMMUNICATION & DEMOCRACY                                                                                      CHAIRMAN – DR. KEN NNAMANI, FORMER SENATE PRESIDENT, NIGERIA
1.	Mr	Larweh, Kofi	Ghana (GCRN)	Community Radio & the Elections in Ghana, with a Focus on the Tain Elections
	Mr	Adu-Agyarko, Pinsang
2.	Prof	Mutere, Absalom	Ghana	Accounting for Media Election Behaviour Empirically by Monitoring
3.	Dr	Ogwezzy, Abigail Odozi	Nigeria (Lagos)	Media Coverage of 2007 General Elections in Nigeria: A Score Card
4.	Mr	Olawuyi, Ebenezer Adebisi	Nigeria (Ibadan)	African Media & the Pursuit of Good Governance
5.		Utulu, Anthony U.	Nigeria (Osun)	Between Public Opinion & Media Agenda of Political Issues in Nigeria

 

(5)    COMMUNICATION & GLOBALIZATION                                                                                   PROF. ABAH ADEBAYO, WASHINGTON & LEE UNIVERSITY
1.	Prof	Abraham, Linus	Ghana (Legon)	Identity, Race and Cultural Citizenship in Cyberspace: The Case of Somalis in Minnesota
2.	Dr	Ekeanyanwu, Nnamdi Tobechukwu	Nigeria (Ogun)	Indigenous Cultures, Communication & ICT in a Globalized World: The  Nigerian Experience
3.		Johnson, Agbo Uchechukwu	Nigeria (Zaria)	Globalization, Democratization & the New Media in Africa: Drawing Lessons from the Democratic Experiences of Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe & Ghana
4.

 

 

 

 

.

(6)    COMMUNICATION & DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES – Panel A (Health)                                                                               CHAIRMAN – PROF. CHARLES OKIGBO
1.	Ms	Eduful, Tina	Ghana (Sch.All.Hea.)	Effective Communication: A Determinant of Patients' Satisfaction
2.	Mr	Nwodu, Levi Chinaka	Nigeria (Enugu)	An Exploration of Medical Doctors' Knowledge & Application of Public Relations in Medical Practice: Implications for Effective health service delivery in Nigeria
3.	Mr	Ogbemi, Ogbiten Brickins	Nigeria (Delta)	Youths' Perception of Radio Campaign against HIV/AIDS in Edo State Nigeria
4.	Mrs	Onekutu, Patience &	Nigeria (Ibadan)	Communication & Adherence to Art: Perspectives from Clients & Health Professionals in Public Funded Treatment Sites
	Dr	Ojebode, Ayobami
5.	Mrs	Umuze, Nkechi Anthonia	Nigeria (Ogwashi-uku)	The Effects of Communication in Creating Awareness on Fake Drugs
(7)    COMMUNICATION & DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES – Panel B (Health)                                                                                                  CHAIRPERSON – TBA
6.	Miss	Akinwumi, Adenike Olapeju	Nigeria (Osun)	The Traditional Approach to the Mobilization Campaign against Polio in Osun State, Nigeria
7.	Mr	Isika, Gideon Udechukwu &	Nigeria (Delta)	Identifying Consensual Validity in Media Campaigns against Cigarette Smoking: A Cross Cultural Perspective
	Mr	Assay, Benjamin Enahoro
8.	Mr	Obukoadata, Ogheneruke Presly	Nigeria (Delta)	Inherent Polysemy in Communicating Health Information in Nigeria: Analysis of HIV/AIDS Messages
9.		Sanda, Hajara Umar	Nigeria (Kano)	Communication & Health: An Analysis of Traditional & Modern Mass Media In Health Promotions in North West Nigeria
10.	Ms.	Pendo, Miranda & Montemi Grace	Kenya (Nairobi)	Behaviour Change Communication: A Case Study of Peer Centered Approach in Sexuality, Health and Environmental Education

 

 

 

 

(8)    COMMUNICATION & DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES – Panel C (Mixed Development Challenges)                                                         CHAIRMAN, PROF. RALPH AKINFELEYE, UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS
1.	Prof	Dandaura, Emmanuel Samu	Nigeria (Nasarawa)	Direct Media & Community Participation in Environmental Protection in Nigeria
2.	Dr	Gambo, Danjuma I-Mets	Nigeria (Maiduguri)	Communication & Poverty Alleviation in Nigeria: The Last 20 Years & the Next
3.		Kayode, Olujimi	Nigeria (Lagos)	Newspaper Coverage of Development Issues in Nigeria
		Adeniran, Raheemah &
		Akashoro, Olalekan
4.	Ms	Igbinoba Osarieme, Angela &	Nigeria (Kaduna)	Coverage of Sexuality Issues in the Nigerian Print Media
	Dr	Tobechukwu,  Nnamdi Ekeanyanwu	(Ota Ogun)
5.	Dr	Olatunji, Rotimi Williams	Nigeria (Lagos)	Role of Print Media in Anti Child Trafficking Awareness Campaign in Nigeria

 

(9)    COMMUNITY COMMUNICATIONS                                                     CHAIRPERSON – MRS. WILNA QUARMYNE, GHANA COMMUNITY RADIO NETWORK
1.	Dr	Bundekaan, Gabriel	Nigeria (Benue)	Folk Media and the Development of Africa in the 21st Century: Prospects & Challenges
2.	Mr	Nduhura, Dominique	Rwanda	Enhancing Community Journalism in Rwanda. Lessons Learnt from Ibanga Newspaper
3.	Mrs	Oziwele, Patience Eloho	Nigeria (Delta)	Rural Community Communication System & Its Relevance in the 21st Century in Africa
4.		Imoh, Grade Oshephiyor	Nigeria (Delta)	Development Communication & Dependency Relationship in Africa Rural Development: Need for a Paradigm Shift

 

 

(10)          ICTS AND NEW MEDIA – Panel A                                                                                   CHAIRPERSON – PRESIDENT, DR. OSEI K. DARKWA, GHANA TELECOM UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
1.	Mr	Nweke, Remy Chuku	Nigeria (Newspaper)			ICTs & the New Media (A Nigerian Perspective)
2.	Ms	Ohiagu, Obiageli Pauline	Nigeria (Port Harct)			The Internet: 21st Century Medium of Communication for Public Relations & Advertising Practice in Nigeria
3.	Mr	Olise, Festus Prosper	Nigeria (Delta)			ICTs as the Nexus between the Knowledge Society & Ongoing Mediamorphosis: Africa at a Crossroad
4.	Dr	Wilcox, Onimi		USA (USA- Houston, TX, or PV A&M. or PVAMU.)		ICT: A Catalyst in Revolutionizing Health Care & Policy Decisions in Africa
(11)          ICTS AND NEW MEDIA – Panel B                                                     CHAIRMAN – DR. HOPETON DUNN, UNIVERSITY OF WEST INDIES, JAMAICA
5.		Adekunle, Suraj Jamiu Olunifesi	Nigeria (Lagos)		The Implication of e-mail as a mean of Organizational Communication
6.	Prof	Alozie, Emmanuel C.	USA (Greensboro)		[Electronic financial fraud in the era of information & global economy: A structural analysis of advance fee solicitation through email]
7.	Dr	Obijiofor, Levi	Australia (Queensland)		Perceptions & use of Internet & email technologies by Nigerian university undergraduate students
8.	Dr	Omenugha, Kate Azuka	Nigeria (Anambra)		Nigerian students' use of information technologies: a blessing or a curse?

 

 

(12)          CLASSROOM-WORKPLACE – A DIALOGUE                                                          CHAIRMAN – MR. BERIFI APPENTENG, MEDIA CONSULTANT, GHANA
1.	Mr	Aggrey, Kwesi	Ghana (Winneba)	Research as the basis for public relations practice: A comparative look at its usage in public & private enterprises in Ghana
2.	Mrs	Atofojomo, Omolade Atinuke	Nigeria (Lagos)	Educational Television & Broadcast Policy, the Nigerian Example
3.	Dr	Akpabio, Eno	Botswana	Service Learning: Viewpoints of Students & Beneficiaries
4.	Dr	Gorpe, Serra	Turkey (IstanbuI U)	Teaching Public Relations Campaigns Course Effectively: Students' & Academic Perspectives
5.	Dr	Uyo, O. Adidi &	Nigeria (Lagos)	What's in Mass Communication Education in Nigeria for Children?: An Evaluation of UNILAG's Mass Communication Curriculum
	Dr	Abigail Odozi

 

(13)          PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, TRAINING & STANDARDS                                                                               CHAIRMAN – TBA
1.	Dr	Araka, Jeremire M.	Tanzania	The Relationship of Information-sharing to Effective Communication at the University of Dar es Salaam
2.	Dr	Amadi, Fred Azub	Nigeria (Port Harcourt)	Broadening Mass Communication Research for Enhanced Media Practice
3.	Prof	M'Bayo, Richard Tamba,	Nigeria (Adamawa)	Multimodal Discourse & Paradigm Shift in Mass Communication Training
		Oloruntola, Sunday &	(Lagos)
		Ifeoma, Amobi	(Lagos)
4.	Dr	Pate, Umaru A.	Nigeria (Maiduguri)	Strengthening Media Capacity for Investigative Journalism through Institutions' Based Curriculum in Nigeria
5.	Mr	Wilson, Joseph &	Nigeria (Maiduguri)	Challenges of Adopting ICTs for Communication  Training/Professional Development in Nigeria: A case study of University of Maiduguri & Nigerian Union of Journalists, Borno State Chapter
	Mr	Gapsiso, Nuhu

 

(14)          COMMUNICATION ETHICS                                                 CHAIRMAN, MR. J.E ALLOTEY-PAPPOE, IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT, AFRICAN                                                                                     PUBLIC RELATIONS ASSOCIATION (APRA)- GHANA
1.	Mrs	Omoloso, Aisha	Nigeria (Kwara)	Nigerian Journalists' Perception of Ethical Concerns in Media Agenda-Setting
2.	Dr.	White, Robert A.	Tanzania	Teaching Media Ethics in African Contexts: Finding a foundation in African values
3.	Prof	Karikari, Kwame	Ghana (MFWA)	A Case Study of Ethics in Ghana
4.	Dr.	Laninhun B.A.	Nigeria	Achieving MDGs through corporate social responsibility and business ethics: the Nigerian example.

 

 

 

(15)          COMMUNICATION AND CONFLICT                                                                                                       CHAIRMAN, TBA
1.	Prof	Wolo, James	Liberia (UNMIL)	Media and Conflict: The Role of Community Communications in Conflict-resolution
2.	Mrs	Yakubu, Afi	Ghana (FOSDA)	[Title to be confirmed]
3.	Prof	Yankah, Kwesi	Ghana (Legon)	[Title to be confirmed]

 

 

(16) GRADUATE STUDIES FORUM (Co-ordinator: Professor Alfred Opubor)

Participation by subscription on the conference website – www.acceaccra2009.org – or at the Conference,