Happy Holidays

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International Institute for ICT Journalism
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Professor Alfred Opubor-Obituary / Nécrologie

The ADEA Working Group on Communication for Education and Development regrets to announce the passing away of Professor Alfred Opubor. This sad event occurred in the late hours of the night of 2 December, 2011, following a brief admission at the university teaching hospital in Cotonou, Benin


Professor Alfred Opubor was one of the first generation of specialists in the field of communication as a behavioural science. He graduated from Michigan State University, in the United States, with a PhD degree in 1969. His expertise was in communication theories and message systems, and their applications in development. A former university professor and head of department of mass communication, Professor Opubor was also a researcher, government policy adviser and senior communication specialist in the United Nations system.  He has been an international consultant in strategic communication and media development.

For nearly a decade (1990-1998), he served as Senior Technical Adviser in Information, Education and Communication for Reproductive Health with the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, first in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, subsequently moving to the Country Support Team, CST, in Harare, Zimbabwe, covering more than 20 countries in East, Central and West Africa.

 

His expertise in strategic communication has been requested by several national, regional and international organisations, especially within the United Nations system.

 

·        In 1999, UNFPA and UNAIDS assigned him to lead the team of consultants that prepared a report on HIV/AIDS advocacy based on field research in six African countries.

·         With the World Health Organisation Africa Regional Office (Harare, 1999), he prepared projects on the future of health communication in Africa.

·        In 2000, he led a consultation organised by FAO  and ECOWAS in defining procedures, manuals and tools for the establishment of national communication policies in West Africa..

·        In 1999 he was a communication consultant to the World Bank for the urban water reform in Ghana, as well as the preparation of a development communication strategy for the Government of Ghana. 

·        In 2007 he was an invited consultant/ participant at the 10th United Nations Inter-Agency Round Table on Communication for Development in Addis Ababa, whch aimed at developing a UN system-wide common approach to Communication for Development in the context of achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

 

As Senior Consultant to the Chairman of the African Union Commission, he proposed the conceptual framework and operational procedures for the establishment of a Pan-African radio and television network in 2005-2006.

 

Between 2003 and 2007, Professor Opubor served as the Coordinator of the ADEA Working Group on Communication for Education and Development (WG COMED) where he passed on his passion for communication to all those who worked with him. His contribution to ADEA was exceptional, and in particular to the setting up and consolidation of the Working Group COMED and the Africa Education Journalism Award.

 

Between 2008 and 2009 he designed the institutional communication strategy for the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, entitled "From a Community of States to a Community of People".

 

In 2009 he undertook missions on behalf of UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, to prepare analytical studies on the integration of communication for development in the CCA/UNDAF of Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, , within the context of the UN system's "Delivering As One" reforms. He also provided capacity development for members of the UN Communication Group in these countries. He was appointed a member of the Experts' Group on Media Data and Indicators of the UNESCO Institute of Statistics, Montreal, undertaking missions in 2009  to India (March), Paris, (May) and Costa Rica( November) .

 

Since 2003 until his death on 2nd December  2011,  he was Secretary-General of the WANAD Centre in Cotonou. He was also Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Panos Institute (West Africa), and Member of the Africa Board of Inter-Press Service, IPS, the Rome-based international news agency with regional headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa.

 

Professor Opubor was 75 years old.  He is survived by his spouse, Antoinette, and children and grand-children May his soul rest in peace.

 

A Condolence Book is opened at the WANAD Centre in Cotonou and visitors are invited to come and sign it as from Monday 5 December, 2011.

 
ends 

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FRENCH - 

Le Groupe de Travail de l'ADEA sur la Communication pour l'Education et le Développement a le regret d'annoncer le décès du Professeur Alfred Opubor. Ce triste événement est survenu dans les dernières heures de la nuit du 02 décembre 2011 après son admission à l'Hôpital universitaire de Cotonou, au Bénin.

 

Le Professeur Alfred Opubor faisait partie de la première génération de spécialistes dans le domaine de la communication, en tant que science du comportement.  Il est diplômé de l'Université de l'Etat de Michigan, aux États-Unis, où il a obtenu le Doctorat de 3eme cycle en 1969.

 

Il a une expertise en théories de communication, et en systèmes de message, de même que  leurs applications dans le domaine du développement. Professeur d'université et ancien chef du département de communication des médias, il a été Chercheur, Conseiller en politique  gouvernementale et Spécialiste supérieur en  communication dans le Système des Nations Unies. Il a été Consultant International en communication stratégique et en développement des médias.

 

Pendant presque une décennie (1990-1998), il a servi comme Conseiller Technique Principal en information, éducation et communication pour la santé de reproduction auprès du Fonds des Nations Unies pour la population ( FNUAP), d'abord à Abidjan, en Côte d'Ivoire, puis en suite,  il a rejoint l'Équipe d'Appui aux Pays , CST, à Harare, au Zimbabwe, couvrant plus de 20 pays d'Afrique Orientale, Centrale et Occidentale.

 

Son expertise en communication stratégique a été sollicitée par de nombreuses organisations nationales, régionales et internationales, particulièrement au sein du Système des Nations Unies.

 

• En 1999, le FNUAP et l'ONUSIDA l'ont chargé pour diriger  l'équipe de Consultants qui a préparé un rapport sur le  plaidoyer sur le VIH / SIDA,  sur la base d'une recherche de terrain menée dans six pays Africains.

• Avec le Bureau Régional Afrique de l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS)  (Harare, 1999), il a élaboré des projets sur l'avenir de la communication en matière de santé en Afrique.

• En 2000, il a conduit une consultation organisée par la FAO et la CEDEAO pour  la définition de procédures, manuels et outils pour la mise en place de politiques nationales de communication en Afrique de l'Ouest.

• En 1998 il  a été Consultant en Communication auprès de la Banque Mondiale pour la réforme de l'eau en milieu urbain au Ghana, ainsi que l'élaboration d'une stratégie de communication pour le développement pour le gouvernement du Ghana.

• En 2007, il était Consultant invité, participant à la 10eme Table Ronde des Nations Unies sur la Communication Inter- Agence à Addis-Abeba, et visant à développer une approche commune de communication du Système des Nations Unies pour le développement dans le contexte de la réalisation des objectifs du Millénaire pour le  Développement (OMD).

 

En tant que Consultant Principal auprès du Président de la Commission de l'Union Africaine, il a proposé le cadre conceptuel et les procédures opérationnelles pour la création d'un réseau panafricain de radios et de télévisions en 2005-2006.

 

Entre 2003  et 2007, le Professeur Opubor a servi comme coordonnateur du Groupe de Travail de l'ADEA pour la Communication sur l'Education et le Développement (GT-COMED) où il a transmis sa passion pour la communication à tous ceux qui ont eu à travailler avec lui. Sa contribution à l'ADEA  a été exceptionnelle, en particulier l'établissement et la consolidation du Groupe de Travail COMED et le Prix africain du journalisme.

Entre 2008 et 2009, il a conçu la stratégie de communication institutionnelle pour la Communauté économique des États d'Afrique de l'Ouest  (CEDEAO)  intitulée «d'une communauté d'Etats à une communauté de personnes».

 

En 2009, il a entrepris au nom du Siège de l'UNESCO à Paris, des missions pour faire des études analytiques sur l'intégration de la communication pour le développement dans le CCA / UNDAF du Rwanda, l'Ouganda et la Tanzanie dans le cadre des réformes «Delivering as One"du Système des Nations Unies. Il a aussi renforcé la capacité des membres du Groupe de Communication de l'ONU dans ces pays. Il a été désigné en tant que membre du Groupe des Experts sur les statistiques et indicateurs des médias, de l'Institut des Statistiques de l'UNESCO, Montréal, en effectuant en 2009, des missions en Inde (Mars), Paris, (Mai) et Costa Rica (Novembre).

 

Depuis 2003 jusqu'au 2 décembre 2011, date de son décès,  il a été le Secrétaire Général du Centre WANAD à Cotonou. Il a été également Vice-président du Conseil d'Administration de l'Institut Panos (Afrique de l'Ouest), et membre du Conseil d'Administration Afrique de l'Inter-Press Service, IPS, Agence Internationale de Presse basée à Rome, et ayant son siège régional à Johannesburg, Afrique du Sud.

 

Le Professeur Opubor était âgé de 75 ans. Il a laissé derrière lui Antoinette, son épouse, des enfants et des petits-enfants. Que son âme repose en paix.

Un livre de condoléances est ouvert au Centre WANAD  où les uns et les autres sont invités à se manifester dès le lundi 5 décembre 2011.

 


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International Institute for ICT Journalism
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Media Training Expands to Kumasi, Ghana

In the first year of RWI's oil, gas and mining media training program, Revenue Watch and Ghana program partner Penplusbytes have focused mainly on journalists and media organizations working in the capital city, Accra.  On 23 November, Penplusbytes introduced the program to Ghana's "second city," Kumasi, in the gold-rich Ashanti region.

During a launch meeting with 23 regional editors, reporters and correspondents, Nana Yaw Osei, president of the Ashanti chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association, said the level of oil and gas reporting in the area is low. "The association is excited to have this unique opportunity to discuss and share ideas about how to improve on the quality and quantity of oil and gas reporting from the region," he said.

In a keynote address, Emmanuel Kuyole, the RWI Africa regional coordinator, appealed to the journalists at the meeting to educate themselves on oil and gas issues. In doing so, he advised, they will learn to effectively "question government officials on some key revenue figures currently being published by the Ministry of Finance."

Dr. Stephen Donyinah, a chemical and petroleum engineer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, explained some technical oil and gas issues that journalists must understand.

The launch included outreach visits to various Kumasi media houses so Penplusbytes could explain the objectives of RWI's media training program to journalists based in central Ghana.

http://www.revenuewatch.org/news/media-training-expands-kumasi-ghana

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International Institute for ICT Journalism
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Penplusbytes Launches Oil & Gas Project in Kumasi

Penplusbytes Launches Oil & Gas Project in Kumasi

Revenue Watch Institute in conjunction with The International Institute for ICT Journalism (Penplusbytes) today launched the "Strengthening Media Oversight of the Extractive Sectors Pilot Program" in Kumasi with Revenue Watch Africa Director Emmanuel Kuyole delivering the keynote. 

The launch event was in two parts:  a formal dinner with Editors of various media houses in Kumasi  was held at the Golden Tulip Hotel and a media outreach programme with visits to various media houses in the city to introduce the programme to journalists in Kumasi and interact with the journalists on how to improve on the quality of  oil and gas reporting from the region.

The "Strengthening Media Oversight of the Extractive Sectors Pilot Program" is a Revenue Watch Institute (RWI) initiative working with Penplusbytes in Ghana) and African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME) in Uganda and Thompson Reuters Foundation. The project is a media capacity-building program in Africa (focusing specifically on Ghana and Uganda). The programme hopes to more holistically and intensively support participating journalists over the long term. The ultimate goal of this program is the effective and consistent coverage by the media of extractive resources and revenues, contributing to their improved use for the public good in Africa

'Kwami Ahiabenu President of Penplusbytes said " The project is aimed at giving journalists knowledge & skills to report effectively on the oil & gas industry in particular & the extractives industry in general.  He added that it is designed to give the participants a working knowledge of the Oil & Gas Industry, specific story ideas and suggestions on how to follow them up" Currently 15 journalists have been trained so far on the programme and he encouraged the editors to enlist their reporters for the next course. 

For more information;

Penplusbytes:

PenPlusBytes seeks to empower the media through the use of ICTs to advance the work of journalism. It consists of a network of media organizations and journalists interested in using ICTs effectively to advance the course of journalism. www.Penplusbytes.org Read more about penplusbytes oil and gas project at www.reportingoilandgas.org

Revenue Watch Institute: The Revenue Watch Institute is a non-profit policy institute and grantmaking organization that promotes the effective, transparent and accountable management of oil, gas and mineral resources for the public good. Through capacity building, technical assistance, research and advocacy, we help countries realize the development benefits of their natural resource wealth.http://www.revenuewatch.org

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International Institute for ICT Journalism
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One-day conference on Open Data and Data Journalism to be held in Accra, Ghana on 22 November 2011.

   One-day conference on Open Data and Data Journalism to be held in Accra, Ghana on 22 November 2011.

 
The Population Council announces a one-day conference on Open Data and Data Journalism to be held in Accra, Ghana on 22 November 2011.

This event, supported in part by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and presented in collaboration with the World Bank Institute, the African Media Initiative, and Highway Africa, will include practical, introductory sessions on open data and data journalism, with an emphasis on trends in Africa and around the globe. The program will feature a mix of keynote speakers, short talks, and facilitated roundtable discussion among participants. 

The conference will include speakers from the International Center for Journalists, the World Bank, the University of Ghana, Network Computer Systems, and the African Internet Service Providers Association, as well as a webinar session featuring participants from open data initiatives in Kenya and Moldova. Individuals from civil society, the media, the private sector, academiaand students in particularare encouraged to attend!

The conference will run from 9 am to 5 pm at the Alisa Hotel in Accra. Space for the conference is limited, and the public is invited to register at the following link: http://bit.ly/GhanaRegistration">http://bit.ly/GhanaRegistration.

Participation is guaranteed only after registering and receiving confirmation from the organizers. Any individuals not registered and confirmed will be permitted to attend if seating allows.

For more information, contact Terence Balinia at mailto:atingpwa@yahoo.com">atingpwa@yahoo.com.

About the Population Council
The Population Council confronts critical health and development issuesfrom stopping the spread of HIV to improving reproductive health and ensuring that young people lead full and productive lives. Through biomedical, social science, and public health research in 50 countries, the Council works with its partners to deliver solutions that lead to more effective policies, programs, and technologies to improve lives around the world. Established in 1952 and headquartered in New York, the Council is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization with an international board of trustees.

http://www.popcouncil.org">www.popcouncil.org

# # # 

Media contact
Diane Rubino: mailto:drubino@popcouncil.org">drubino@popcouncil.org; +1 212 339 0617

 

Open Data Journalism Conference in Ghana

 The Population Council announces a one-day conference on Open Data and Data Journalism to be held in Accra, Ghana, 22 November 2011.

This event, supported in part by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and presented in collaboration with the World Bank Institute, the African Media Initiative, and Highway Africa, will include practical, introductory sessions on open data and data journalism, with an emphasis on trends in Africa and around the globe.

The program will feature a mix of keynote speakers, short talks, and facilitated roundtable discussion among participants.

The conference will include speakers from the International Center for Journalists, the World Bank, Google, the University of Ghana, Network Computer Systems, and the African Internet Service Providers Association, as well as a webinar session featuring participants from open data initiatives in Kenya and Moldova.

http://www.popcouncil.org/mediacenter/newsreleases/2011_OpenDataWorkshop.asp

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International Institute for ICT Journalism
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Penplusbytes Serves on 2011 World Kids News Award Panel

The Projects Director of the International Institute of ICT Journalism (Penplusbytes) Mr. Jerry Sam served on the jury panel which decided the winner of the 2011 World Kids News Award in Accra Ghana on the 3rd of November 2011. The theme for this year's award was 'Heroes"

The World Kids News Award forms part of the annual Kids News Network summit which brings together journalists from different parts of the world to share ideas on both serious and fun news that matters to children all over the world.

The jury chose from 7 outstanding broadcasts from Tien Muniten (Surinam), Tele Junior (Mozambique), NAPA (Peru), Zkids News (Zambia), CKN (Caribbean), Teen Voice (Indonesia) and Youth Voice (Burma).

The Jury scored the finalist on three criteria: Originality, Production quality and Relevance.  At the end of the jury deliberations, NAPA (Peru) emerged the unanimous winner with their programme on child labour.

The KNN is an initiative of the Dutch media NGO Free Voice to help local journalists develop their own 'kids news' format. Kids News programs are being broadcasted in Peru, Surinam, Mozambique, Dutch Caribbean, Zambia, South Africa, Burma and Indonesia reaching an estimated 20 million viewers a week.

Uganda : Prize for best stories on oil and gas 2011

WHAT? As part of efforts to strengthen media oversight of the extractive sector, the African Centre for Media Excellence (Kampala), in conjunction with Revenue Watch Institute (New York), announces the availability of an award for best reporting on oil and gas for 2011.

WHAT? As part of efforts to strengthen media oversight of the extractive sector, the African Centre for Media Excellence (Kampala), in conjunction with Revenue Watch Institute (New York), announces the availability of an award for best reporting on oil and gas for 2011.

 

WHY? (A) To raise the profile for good investigative, in-depth, analytical and enterprise reporting on extractives i.e. oil and gas in Uganda.

(B) To provide incentives for individual reporting on oil and gas.

 

WHO? This is therefore to invite Ugandan print and electronic media reporters to submit their best stories to be considered for the award. Others may submit the stories on a reporter's behalf. The stories must have been published in 2011.

 

WHEN? Deadline for submission of stories is 5 p.m., 21 November 2011. The awards ceremony will take place in Kampala in the second week of December 2011.

 

HOW? Electronic media reporters should submit their stories in a format easiest to listen to, and view, the entries. Both electronic and print media reporters may submit hard copies, soft copies, or online links of their stories. All entries should be addressed to the Programme Associate, African Centre for Media Excellence, P.O. Box 11283, Kampala; or dropped off physically at the ACME offices at Plot 124, Nanjala Road (off Ggaba Road at Soya-Bunga), Kampala. Soft copies and/or online links should be emailed to info@acme-ug.org and copied to Programme Associate Grace Natabaalo at gnatabaalo@acme-ug.org

 

CRITERIA: (A) There will be 2 winners, 1 each in the electronic and print categories.

(B) A panel of 3 judges will pick the winner.

(C) The judges will be looking for entries that demonstrate the following qualities:

i) Originality;

ii) Enterprise and investigation;

iii) Analysis and depth;

iv) Relevance and significance; and

v) Potential to promote accountability in public policy and decision-making, and in the extractive industry.

 

AMOUNT: Each of the 2 winners will take home $1,500, a plaque, and a certificate.

http://www.acme-ug.org/news/item/182-prize-for-best-stories-on-oil-and-gas-2011

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Second RWI Media Training Session Begins in Ghana

On Monday, a group of African journalists arrived in Accra, Ghana for a 10-day Revenue Watch workshop to strengthen their knowledge and skills for reporting on oil, gas and mining.

The participants, seven Ghanaians and seven Ugandans, working for newspapers, magazines, radio and TV, are the second class in RWI's media training program. They were selected for their track record as journalists with a demonstrated interest in some aspect of oil, gas and mining.

The workshop, which runs until 26 October, was organized with local partner PenPlusBytes and offers a combination of knowledge- and skill-building sessions. "Knowledge" topics covered so far have given the journalists a stronger background in topics such as oil and gas contracts, key industry actors, the geological formation of oil and gas and community interests in mining areas. Expert lecturers also discussed topics including industry operations, accountability and the experiences of communities in oil-rich areas like the Niger Delta states and western Ghana.

The "skills" sessions so far have focused on journalists' tools of the trade, with seminars on conceiving and implementing story ideas, evidence-based reporting, handling figures effectively and investigation and analysis.

Ebow Haizel-Ferguson, an activist and social entrepreneur who runs Sigma Base Technical Institute, a training project for young people seeking to work in the oil and gas sector, spoke about the conditions in Takoradi, Ghana's oil and gas capital. He emphasized that most benefits from oil and gas would come from ancillary services, like job creation and infrastructure, rather than from the core of the industry. He advised journalists to convey this idea so that communities can have a clearer understanding of potential benefits from allowing oil industry in.

"There is going to be a fertilizer factory that will require about 2,000 people to build," Haizel-Ferguson explained. "There is a government gas processing plant that will cost one billion U.S. dollars." Such investments, he continued, present employment and business opportunities for the locals.

Gabriel Dedu, the governance adviser at the World Bank office in Ghana, listed a number of "accountability hotspots," such as the need for publicly-agreed revenue management guidelines concerning how to spend oil revenues.

"Within the framework of the law," Dedu said, "there is a window for political decision-making." The potential for loopholes in accountability safeguards, he continued, means that journalists must be prepared to hold the government accountable if provisions in revenue management legislation are violated.

Halima Abdalla Kisule, a Ugandan journalist who won the 2010 CNN Multichoice African Journalist Awards prize for environmental reporting, is using the training course to deepen her understanding of how oil and gas extraction in Uganda will impact the environment.

"In Uganda, oil exploration in the Lake Albert area is going on in a protected area with a lot of wildlife," Kisule said. "Are we going to move all these animals to other places? How will all these hippos and elephants survive?"

Ghanaian journalist Benjamin Tetteh reflected on some of the issues that got him thinking. "The discussion about the various types of oil contracts has been my best part. It's been very exciting."

Below is a full list of RWI's new class of journalists. Check back on the media training page for story links and bios.

From Uganda:

Felix Basiime, Daily Monitor
Isaac Imaka, Daily Monitor
Mary Karugaba, New Vision
Halima Abdallah Kisule, The East African
Assad Mugenyi, The CEO Magazine
Moses Talemwa, The Observer
Coletta Wanjohi, WBS TV

From Ghana:

Lorrencia Adam, Choice FM
Edward Ameh, Net2 TV
Adams Bashiru, The Finder
Ivan Awudu Domasaa, Radio Progress
Jeorge Wilson Kingson, Businessweek Africa
Pascal Kelvin Kudiabor, Ghana Business News
Benjamin Piorgah Tetteh, Joy FM

 

http://www.revenuewatch.org/news/blog/rwi-2011-media-training-session-begins-ghana

International Community Media Conference - University of Ibadan, Nigeria -IF COMMUNITY MEDIA IS THE ANSWER, WHAT IS THE QUESTION?

The Department of Communication and Language Arts, University of Ibadan, > Nigeria; the Institute for Media and Society (IMS), Lagos, Nigeria; the  African Languages Technology Initiative (ALT-I), Ibadan, Nigeria; and the  Nigerian Community Radio Coalition jointly invite you to an international  conference to commemorate the 75th Birthday Anniversary of Prof Alfred  Opubor, first Nigerian professor of Mass Communication.

THEME: ³IF COMMUNITY MEDIA IS THE ANSWER, WHAT IS THE QUESTION?²  Those were the words of the first Nigerian Professor of Mass Communication,
Professor Alfred Opubor, and the title of one of his most discussed articles  Though that question was raised in 2000 in a book published by UNESCO, the  issues that gave rise to it are still as urgent and improperly understood as  they were then. The recent political events in the MENA (Middle East and  North Africa) region, the recent historic civilian-to-civilian transition in  Zambia, the seemingly unending failure of the big media to significantly  bring about participation and access; the recourse to neoliberal policies by African Œdemocracies¹ and the impact of that on the big media; are some of  the issues that necessitate a thorough re-examination of that decade-old  witticism. If community media is the answer, what indeed is the question?  And how is it being answered? Are there more questions than there were? What  are they?

SUB-THEMES: Paper abstracts and proposals for project demonstrations are  welcome on the following subthemes:
> ·         Community Media and new media technologies
> ·         Community media, policy and regulation
> ·         Community media, social media and social protest
> ·         Community media and empowerment/development: actual stories and  potentials
> ·         Community media and the management of conflict
> ·         Community media, community/civic engagement and democracy
> ·         Research approaches in (and to) community media
> ·         Community media and gender
> ·         Community media and popular culture
> ·         Community media and diasporas

> DATE: 27-29 March, 2012
> VENUE: Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
> TIMELINES:
> Deadline for submission of abstracts = Nov 30, 2011
> Notification of writers of successful abstracts = Dec 20, 2011
> Deadline for submission of full paper = Feb 20, 2012

 FEES: heavily subsidised to cover conference materials, lunches and teas.
 Academics: N5,000
 International participants: $50
 Graduate Students: N1,500

 Undergraduate Students: Free

 Abstracts or proposals for project demonstration should not exceed 300 words. Abstracts should be sent to both: opuborconference@yahoo.com and
comlangarts@gmail.com 

 For more information on venues, hotel accommodation, presenters and lead  speakers, timetables etc, visit: http://alfredopubor.org
 You can access the book in which Prof Opubor¹s Chapter (If community media  is the answer...) was published here:  http://www.unesco.org/webworld/publications/community_media/index.html

Ayobami Ojebode, Ph.D
Chairman, Local Organising Committee.
>

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International Institute for ICT Journalism
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Penplusbytes Anniversary Boot Camp

The Deputy Director/Head of ICT Division of the Information Services Department (ISD) Mr Mawutodzi Kodzo Abissath has said that the Government of Ghana portal (GOG) was initiated to provide authentic and accurate information about Ghana. The portal, he declared publishes news, develops appropriate communication strategies as well as focuses on developmental oriented news and links all Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Ghana.

 

Mr Abissath further noted that the portal serves as a source of information on speeches, press releases, meet the press, it also serves as a regional page for all the ten regions and provides profiles of public officials {Ministers).

 

He noted that the portal is managed by the Ministry of Information and ISD.

 

He made these remarks at a training session for student journalists organised in collaboration with the Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) and the International Institute of ICT Journalism (Penplusbytes).

 

The board chairman of Penplusbytes, Dr Kwabena Riverson said penplusbytes has trained over 100 journalists in various parts of Africa.

 

Currently Dr Riverson said penplusbytes has a network of over 700 members spread across 49 countries.

 

The board chairman said his organisation is conducting a number of key studies, capacity building programmes and projects which includes the institution's flagship project known as African Election Project (AEP), inaugurated in 2008.

 

The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) took the opportunity to launch its website at the training session. http://gjaghana.org/

 

The President of the GJA, Mr Ransford Tetteh, launching the website said new media journalism has become an important profession in the country and therefore appealed to journalists to report accurately on issues since it is a social media that provides service to the world.

 

Mr Tetteh urged journalists to guide their colleagues in their reportage to prevent fear and panic among individuals and also commemorate on the positive aspect of journalism and not only on the negative side. 

 

Source: ISD (Benjamin Amaning & Nancy Krampah)

Trainee journalists gather for Ghana's first online journalism boot camp

Future journalists will gather at the Accra International Press Centre on 21st October, 2011 for the first Boot Camp on online Journalism under the theme "Enhancing your Future as a Journalist through Online Journalism".

 

Keynote address for the occasion will be delivered by Ethan Zuckerman, Director of the MIT Center for Civic Media, USA and board member of Penplusbytes and Dr. Kwabena Riverson, board chair of Penplusbytes, will deliver a welcome address with Kenneth Ashigbey, Managing Director of Daily Graphic Company, serving as chair for this important boot camp.

 

The Boot Camp is aimed at providing learning and knowledge exchange opportunities in online journalism topics such as: online News Publishing and Online tools for gathering news, revenue models for online news, modern trends in broadcast technologies and social media and journalism.

 

The International Institute for ICT Journalism (Penplusbytes) working with Ghana Journalists Association(GJA) is organizing this boot camp with support from Raycom Technologies and Main One Cable.

 

The highlight of the event will be the launch of Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Social networking platform www.gjaghana.org. The platform is intended to provide members of the association with opportunities to effectively explore the inherent benefits of social networking tools as they interact and connect with the general public. It has become necessary that today's journalists harness the presence of these social network tools in the creation and dissemination of news content. According to Mr. Bright Blewu, Secretary-General of Ghana Journalists Association "the face of journalism is changing rapidly due to the advent of new technologies bringing with it challenges and opportunities and as an association we are committed to support our members to take advantage of new media in order for them to serve their audiences better while at the same time maintaining the highest professional ethics."

 

The one-day media boot camp, will offer a practical, in-depth and hands-on application of new media in the newsroom and forms part of Penplusbytes 10th anniversary celebrations. Kwami Ahiabenu, II President of Penplusbytes noted that, "As we celebrate 10 years of empowering the media through the use of ICTs to advance quality journalism we are excited to provide a unique opportunity to future journalists to help them navigate the new media world as they grow as journalists in our new information age".

 

Other presenters at the boot camp will include; Isaac Yeboah of myjoyonline.com Chris Donkor of Dot house, Kent Mensah of Citifmonline, Nana Kwabena of Edge cube and Prince Asare of Viasat 1. The rest are Alex Adjei Bram of SMSGH, John Totoe of Mobile Content, Isaac Maafo of Bulksmsghana, Kofi Amamoo of Expresso, Charity Donkor of MTN and Prof Linus Abraham (Rector) of NAFTI

 

Participating schools will include the School of Communication Studies, African University College of Communication, Ghana Institute of Journalism, Christian Service University, Kumasi, NAFTI and Jayee College.  

 

http://opinion.myjoyonline.com/pages/pressrelease/201110/75126.php

Students journalists schooled in ICT journalism

The International Institute for ICT Journalism in collaboration with (Penplusbytes) The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA)  has organised a boot camp for student journalists across the country to make them more innovative in the profession.

The one day booth camp was to provide the students with learning skills and exchange opportunities in online journalism topics such as Online News Publishing and Online tools for gathering news.

The camp which was on the theme, "Enhancing your Future as a Journalist through Online Journalism", attracted student journalists from five journalism training institutions in the country.

The schools which were represented were; the Ghana Institute of Journalism, African University College of Communication (AUCC), Jayee University College, , School of Communication Studies, the National Films and Television Institute (NAFTI) and the Christian Service University College, which is based in Kumasi.

Speaking at the launch of the programme on Friday, Mr Bright Blewu, GJA General-Secretary, noted that the ICT camp would also be used to educate the participants on revenue models for online news, modern trends in broadcast technologies and social media and journalism.

"It has become necessary that today's journalists harness the presence of these social network tools in the creation and dissemination of news content".

He pledged GJA's commitment towards supporting its members to take advantage of new media to serve their audience even better while respecting the code of ethics and maintaining the highest professional standards.

The Association also used the occasion to launch a social platform www.gjaghana.org intended to provide its members with opportunities to effectively explore the benefits of social networking tools as they interact and connect with the general public.

"The face of journalism is changing rapidly due to the advent of new technologies which have brought in their wake both challenges and opportunities", he added.

Dr Kwabena Riverson, Penplusbyte Board Chairman, noted that the training also formed part of Penplusbyte's 10th anniversary and cited essay competitions for journalists in Africa and training packages for media houses as some of the activities earmarked for the celebration.

"The areas that we will be covering at this boot camp forms part of our objective to provide exemplary leadership in ICT training".

He noted that so far Penyplusbyte had trained over 100 journalists from various parts of Africa and across the globe in cutting edge new media technologies and contemporary ICT issues.

Dr Riverson said Penplusbyte had initiated a project dubbed: "Reporting on Oil and Gas", to educate journalists on the intricacies of the oil and gas sector.

Source: GNA

LIVE : Follow online journalism boot camp for future journalists

Future Journalists gather for Ghana's first online journalism boot camp Future journalists will gather at the Accra International Press Centre on 21st October, 2011 for the first Boot Camp on online Journalism under the theme "Enhancing your Future as a Journalist through Online Journalism"
FOLLOW ONLINE LIVE 

type this address 

http://196.29.230.139/control/userimage.html

user name : bootcamp 
password : bootcamp

--
International Institute for ICT Journalism
www.penplusbytes.org

Future Journalists gather for Ghana's first online journalism boot camp

Future journalists will gather at the Accra International Press Centre on 21st October, 2011 for the first Boot Camp on online Journalism under the theme "Enhancing your Future as a Journalist through Online Journalism"

Keynote address for the occasion will be delivered by Ethan Zuckerman, Director of the MIT Center for Civic Media, USA and board member of Penplusbytes and Dr. Kwabena Riverson, board chair of Penplusbytes, will deliver welcome address with Kenneth Ashigbey managing Director of Daily Graphic Company serving as chair for this important boot camp.

The Boot Camp is aimed at providing learning and knowledge exchange opportunities in online journalism topics such as. ; online News Publishing and Online tools for gathering news, revenue models for online news, modern trends in broadcast technologies and social media and journalism.

The International Institute for ICT Journalism (Penplusbytes) working with Ghana Journalists Association(GJA) is organizing this boot camp with support from Raycom Technologies, IPMC and Main One Cable.

The highlight of the event will be the launch of Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) Social networking platform www.gjaghana.org. The platform is intended to provide members of the association with opportunities to effectively explore the inherent benefits of social networking  tools as they interact and connect with the general public. It has become necessary that today's journalists harness the presence of these social network tools in the creation and dissemination of news content. According to Mr. Bright Blewu, Secretary-General of Ghana Journalists Association "the face of journalism is changing rapidly due to the advent of new technologies bringing with it challenges and opportunities and as an association we are committed to support our members to take advantage of new media in order for them to serve their audiences better while at the same time maintaining the highest professional ethics."

The one-day media boot camp, will offer a practical, in-depth and hands-on application of new media in the newsroom and forms part of Penplusbytes 10th anniversary celebrations.  Kwami Ahiabenu, II President of Penplusbytes noted that, "As we celebrate 10 years of empowering the media through the use of ICTs to advance quality journalism we are excited to provide a unique opportunity to future journalists to help them navigate the new media world as they grow as journalists in our new information age".

Other presenters at the boot camp  will include; Isaac Yeboah of myjoyonline.com Chris Donkor of Dot house, Kent Mensah of Citifmonline, Nana Kwabena of Edge cube and Prince Asare of Viasat 1.The rest are Alex Adjei Bram of SMSGH, John Totoe of Mobile Content, Isaac Maafo of Bulksmsghana, Kofi Amamoo of Expresso, Charity Donkor of MTN and Prof Linus Abraham (Rector) of NAFTI

Participating schools will include, African University College of Communication, Ghana Institute of Journalism, School of Communication Studies, Christian Service University, Kumasi, NAFTI and Jayee College.

 

Editor's Note

Penplusbytes

International Institute of ICT Journalism (Penplusbytes) is an organization that seeks to empower the media through the use of ICTs to advance quality journalism. It consists of a network of media organizations and journalists interested in using ICTs effectively to advance the course of journalism. We have trained over 500 journalists from various parts of Africa and across the globe in cutting edge new media technologies and contemporary ICT issues.

GJA

Created in 1984, the Ghana Journalists Association is a professional association for Ghanaian journalists. The Association's purpose is to improve the standard of professional practice in the press, encourage the growth of the mass media, and protect freedom of expression. The Association is a membership organization of journalists with a National Executive elected by the members

Technology to play a key role in the coverage of Liberia 2011 General Elections

As Liberians go to the polls on 11 October 2011 to select a new president, members of senate and house of representatives, African Election Project (AEP) www.africanelections.org is providing leadership in the use of information and communication technologies(ICT) to cover this landmark elections under its Liberia Incidence Monitoring Platform" project www.myliberiawins.org.

The ICT based incidence Monitoring platform will monitor  incidents of violence, irregularities and human rights abuses, spanning the period of pre-elections, during elections and post elections, thereby contributing to building peace and entrenching democracy in Liberia. Also the project is designed to facilitate the work of journalists and citizen journalists by actively using ICT tools in disseminating election information and knowledge thereby stimulating a vibrant online and offline dialogue between the media and civil society through forums on elections issues with the ultimate objective of promoting free and fair elections in Liberia.

Liberia's upcoming election has largely been viewed as a test of the willingness of Liberians to fully commit to democracy and the deepening of good governance in the country after the end of a 14 year civil war which ended in 2003.

 

According to African Elections Project Director, Jerry Sam, "the use of ICT during this election coverage will bring about transparency in the whole electoral process, ensure the timely release of electoral news to citizens residing in Liberia and in the Diaspora, issue alerts to the relevant institutions to prevent potential incidence of violence and to ensure credibility in the final outcome of the elections." 

 

He added that, a modern fully equipped Call Centre is in place to enable citizens report elections violence incident in additions to SMS reporting system via short-code 2011. In order to coordinate information transmission from elections observers throughout the country, a group of field officers have been deployed to play this role. The project will also make use of social media tools such as twitter, facebook  and youtube to reach out to online audience. Other tools to be deployed include cutting-edge call center software and a news database software which are designed to keep track of the elections activities as it happens.

 

African Elections Project in Liberian which covered the recently held Liberia referendum is   coordinated by the International Institute of ICT Journalist (Penplusbytes) with strategic and financial support from Humanity United (www.humanityunited.org) working hand in hand with key partners including ushahidi Liberia and Liberia Media Centre (LMC)

 

 

 

Editor's note

African Elections Project (AEP) www.africanelections.org  @africanelection

AEP was established in 2008 to cover elections using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) across the continent. AEP have successfully covered elections in Botswana, Namibia, Ghana, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Mauritania, Mozambique, Malawi, Togo and Niger.

 

Humanity United     www.humanityunited.org  @HUtweets

Humanity United is a philanthropic organization committed to building peace and advancing human freedom. We lead, support, and collaborate with a broad network of efforts, ideas, and organizations that share our vision of a world free of conflict and injustice.

 

Liberia Elections 2011 : “Because Accountability Matters”

"Because Accountability Matters" is the outcome of the media monitoring component of the "Strengthened Media for Transparent Elections" project. The overall objective of the project is to support independent media coverage of the 2011 Elections. It further seeks to initiate new directions for the Liberian media in the coverage of the electoral and political processes that accord higher priority to electoral accountability, issue focused campaigns and application of ethical principles. It is being facilitated with capacity building initiatives and advocacy on electoral accountability, issue-focused election reporting and monitoring of electoral coverage by the media. It also includes the use of ICTs (new media technologies especially) in monitoring and reporting of elections. The project has also enabled LMC to provide equipment support for more than 300 Liberian journalists and about 35 community radio stations.

"Strengthened Media for Transparent Elections" was conceived against the background of the social responsibility and watch dog functions of the media through which it is expected to entrench the ideals of openness and accountability in the political and electioneering processes.
The program is jointly supported by USAID, through a grant to IREX USA; UNESCO; Denmark based International Media Support and the Africa Elections Project in Accra, Ghana.
The report aims to highlight media performance in the coverage of news, events and debates during the 2011 Liberian Elections. It is designed to stimulate performance and to provide a platform for debate on the findings.

This publication therefore encapsulates one month of monitoring in August 2011 and provides summaries of areas requiring improvement by various media outlets. The report represents the first in a series, which continues till December 2011 and would culminate into the production of a comprehensive documentation on the media role during the 2011 electoral cycle.

LMC hopes the assessment will achieve the intended purpose of encouraging the media to provide appropriate professional response and add value to collective efforts for free, fair and transparent elections devoid of violence. The report is however based on the monitoring of the radio and newspapers during the period. The second report to be release in October will feature television monitoring results.

METHODOLOGY AND SCOPE

While the project reviews all published dailies to document incidents of ethical transgression, only 11 newspapers and seven radio stations are closely monitored using sets of pre-set questionnaire or coding sheets. This report covers these institutions though reference is also made to some institutions outside the rigorous assessment process, especially as it pertains to grave ethical transgressions.
The newspapers were selected on the basis of their regularity prior to the monitoring.  As a result, most of the papers selected are dailies. Seven radio stations were selected on the basis of their programming, reach, and relative consistency on the air.

For radio, a total of 63 hours of radio time were recorded and evaluated, using a code frame that contained 141 semi-structured questions for radio and 154 semi-structured questions for newspaper. The report focused on a number of indicators ranging from coverage of issues, parties and candidates, space and airtime distribution and distribution of advertisement. A reflection of the coverage across the various county and sources that generated the news was also assessed. Media biases, content quality, partisan reporting, gender and conflict sensitive reporting were amongst the indicators assessed.

Processing of the data begins with monitors, who report their daily code frames to a supervisor, who in turn forward his report to the Project Consultant. The Consultant verifies the coding of each newspaper and radio station before the data is entered in the computer –based data processing system. The computer generated results are then placed within an analysis chart and quantitative reports are generated together with qualitative analysis generated separately by monitors.

OVERVIEW RESULTS AND KEY FINDINGS
The Chart below shows the percentage of issues that were reported as news by the radio stations during the period

In general, the outcome of the monitoring exercise indicates the Liberian media's robust engagement with the electoral processes as citizens prepare for the first election to be conducted by post-war democratically elected government.

A major indication of this was the amount of space and time allotted by the newspapers and radio stations to the coverage of the pre-election referendum that was then pending. Although, it meant that other developmental issues were relegated to the background, it nonetheless showed that the media was paying a deserved attention to a process whose outcome might have significant effect on the actual elections. In this regard, the court actions that have followed the result of the referendum could be seen as vindicating the stance of the media on this particular issue.

The result also shows that during the period under review, the media focused on the National Electoral Commission (NEC), being the all-important umpire whose deeds or misdeeds could have profound effect on the credibility of the elections. Understandably, NEC featured very well in the referendum related stories as it was also its responsibility to conduct it. In all instances during the monitoring exercise, NEC and the referendum got prominent mention in terms of placement of the stories. For example, in the case of the newspapers, 48% of elections related stories dealing with the activities of NEC and the referendum appeared as front page lead or sub leads. Among the highlighted issues in the stories were the registration process, opinions of the political parties and candidates whether the referendum was desirable or not with some actually advocating the boycott of the process.

Similarly, 36.1% of the 129 monitored programs of the radio stations centered on the referendum. These were in the form of open discussions of issues relating to the referendum such as the sensitization campaigns and the views of the opposition political parties. The observed weakness is the poor attention to gender in the referendum and election related stories as only two stations, UNMIL and Truth FM, featured gender related debates.

More welcoming however is the prominent featuring of news from the campaign rallies (20%) and news specific to the political parties (15.6%) by the radio stations which would suggest on face value, that the radio stations intended to help the electorates with the information that could aid their choice of Parties and candidates. Unfortunately, this intent might not have been fully realized as the news and programs were poor in content when it comes to the agenda and policies of the political parties. It should be worrisome that less than 2% of the issues covered dealt with health, business and development policies.

The monitoring report also indicates that the radio stations have succeeded more than the newspapers, in engendering public participation in the political discourse. Many callers and participants in various radio programs have been quite vocal and eloquent on questioning candidates on the issues of concern to them. Overall, the coverage of issues by the broadcast media was much better as influenced by the audience contribution. Although the newspapers do not have such advantage, the creative use of the new and social media could be a way of increasing their engagement with the public on the electioneering.

Another noticeable feature of the report is the skewed coverage of the political parties with the data gathered from the monitoring period showing that the newspapers generally seem to build stories around four of the over twenty nine registered political parties contending for power.  If this trend continues, the underreported parties might allege that they are being marginalized by the media.  The four parties that have been given favorable coverage are the ruling Unity Party, the CDC, the LP and NDC. Meanwhile the nature of the stories reported by the media on the leading parties also raises some questions. For example, whereas over 50% of the news stories on CDC centered on internal political wrangling especially as emanating from the party's convention, the ruling Unity Party received more favorable coverage of its progress, programs, events and activities.

For a country divided into counties populated by diverse peoples, attention to diversity is an important focus of the monitoring exercise. Here the newspapers did not put up an impressive performance to the extent that about 86% of newspapers election related stories originated from Montserrado. In contrast, Nimba County with almost half a million people out of the 3.5 million Liberian population had less than 7% mention. Other Counties even fared worse.

The newspapers might feel justified not only because they are based in Monrovia, the capital but also because the Montserrado as a whole county has the largest population compared with others. But the newspapers should have put into consideration that fact that the forthcoming elections are national in character; across all the counties, the president, the senators and the representatives will be voted for and elected.

Overall, the radio reports fared only marginally better than the newspapers as they too had 83.6% of stories coming from Montserrado, the seat of government. Bong and Nimba Counties followed with 2.8% and 2.5% respectively. However the radio stations covered more counties. ELBC reports covered nine of the fifteen counties; Truth FM, eight; UNMIL Radio, seven; LWDR, four and Radio Veritas, SKY FM and LUX FM three counties each.

The diversity performance was better in giving space and voice to non-political actors whose objective opinions help in shaping issue-focused campaigns. Both the newspapers and radio stations featured significantly the civil society, foreign missions and youth as well as women groups.
The effect of advertising on the reporting of the elections was another area of importance examined by the monitoring to determine if it accounted for favorable and non-favorable coverage of the political parties. UP had 88% of political party adverts in "The News" newspaper and received favorable coverage with a story on the president's presence at a campaign rally sensationally titled "Ellen Rocks" in the August 8 edition. CDC did not have ads in the newspaper. On July 28 it ran a story titled "Tubman a failed UN Diplomat" that was more opinionated than factual.

Finally, on a more positive note, the fact of government ownership seems not to have affected ELBC during the period in question. It had more balanced stories than the private stations. Forty two of its 65 elections news stories fell into the balanced category whereas the privately owned Sky FM had 19; Radio Veritas, 17; Truth FM, 15; LWDR, 6 and Lux FM, 7. UNMIL had just two balanced election news stories, with no balanced reports as most of their stories were not applicable.

CONCLUSION

As seen from the findings, the media faces huge challenges running into a crucial two weeks period especially on account of recent performance from some media organizations. The temptation to report issues along partisan lines will also exist but mustering the professional will and judgment to resist these temptations and stay above the fray will contribute immensely in determining the peaceful outcome of the electoral process. To achieve this goal, journalists must remain non-partisan even if they are in the employ of media owners with partisan agenda. Ensuring that news and information dissemination remain conflict sensitive is an obligation not an option and journalists should be reminded that this obligation is inextricably linked with a violent free and peaceful elections. As polling day looms, the media is encouraged to provide a balanced perspective on the candidates' platform, track record and performance. Giving equal space and airtime in a commercially driven period can be challenging but media owners should seek to promote diversity and undue monopolization of their outlet by any single political party.  The media must unite to promote peace through reporting the process in an unbiased and transparent manner.

Supported by USAID through IREX, UNESCO and International Media Support.

--
International Institute for ICT Journalism
www.penplusbytes.org

Awards for Innovative New Media Journalists at Highway Africa.

The 15^th Highway Africa Conference is underway at Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), South Africa.  For fifteen years the Highway Africa conference has been at the centre of Africa's debates on journalism and new media. The conference has over the years become the largest annual gathering of African journalists in the world.

 

At this year's event, journalists who have innovatively applied the evolving New Media within the context of Africa's media will receive awards at the 11th SABC-Telekom-Highway Africa New Media Awards 2011. The awards will be in three categories, namely; individual, non-profit and corporate. Winners of the various categories will be announced during the conference at a prestigious gala which would be held on Sunday 18^th September.

 

This year, the prestigious Highway Africa New Media Awards celebrates ten years of existence. The awards have become one of the major highlights of recognition, reward and celebration of creativity in using new technologies in media in Africa. The wide range of organisations and individuals that have won include journalists and students, NGOs and profit making organisations. These individuals and organisations have made information and communication interventions that have been critical to the genuine free flow of information and participatory communication. When the history of new media technologies is written, the awards will have a central place as a process and event that played the role of catalyst and promoter of innovation.

 

Kwami Ahiabenu II, Chair of the Highway Africa conference and director of Penplusbytes had this to say  " this years' award celebrate individuals and organizations who are leading the way by applying innovative ways to overcome the limitations in Africa media space while pushing for creative adaptation of global technologies in an African media context".

 

A new book "Media & The Africa Promise Pan Africa Media Conference 2010" is expected to be launched at Highway Africa,Jerry Sam, Penplusbytes Project Director is one of the book contributors.

Highway Africa 2011 is under the theme; ''African Media and Global Sustainability Challenge '' and will serve as a platform for African journalists and people in the media to display their sense of passion in framing issues regarding climate change, food security and global sustainability. With Marking the 20^th year of the Windhoek Declaration: Pan African Conference on Access to Information (PACAI) running co-currently at Highway Africa

 

 

Editor's note

 

International Institute for Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) Journalism (PenPlusBytes) established in 2001 seeks to empower the media through the use of ICTs to advance the work of journalism. It consists of a network of media organizations and journalists interested in using ICTs effectively to advance high quality journalism.

 

Highway Africa is a partnership between Rhodes University (School of Journalism and Media Studies) and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), with the support of several partners, development agencies and sponsors. For fourteen years the Highway Africa conference has been at the centre of Africa's debates on journalism and new media. The conference has over the years become the largest annual gathering of African journalists in the world.