Countdown to close of entries: SABC - Telkom - Highway Africa New Media Awards 2011

With only two more weeks left before the close of applications for the SABC-Telkom-Highway Africa

New Media Awards 2011, the countdown has begun to the event that celebrates Africa's new media

leaders.

 

The 11th SABC-Telkom-Highway Africa Conference will for the first time be experienced outside of

Grahamstown, at the Cape Town International Conference Centre.

"Highway Africa recognizes and celebrates the role that African journalists continue to play in telling

the story of the continent in all its complexity. It is a story of hope and despair, of war and peace, of

building and destroying. The women and men who dedicate their lives to bring that story, deserve to

be celebrated. At the Highway Africa Conference we do exactly that," said Chris Kabwato, Highway

Africa Director.

 

Criteria for the SABC-Telkom-Highway Africa New Media Awards 2011

Judges are looking for innovative applications of new media in African journalism and the media.

Awards are given in three categories: 1) Individual; 2) Non-profit; and 3) Corporate.

Individual and Non-profit category: Recognition will be given to persons or organisations who find

INNOVATIVE ways to overcome the limitations of the existing African infrastructure. Corporate

category: Judges will be looking for creative adaptation of global technologies in an African media

context. Other broad criterion is the use of new media to benefit press freedom in Africa and

encourage social empowerment in African communities.

 

Prizes

Winners of these awards will receive a coveted trophy, and prizes at the prestigious gala event

sponsored by Telkom, on Sunday 18 September, in Cape Town, during the 15th Highway Africa

Conference.

 

Enter or submit a nomination by downloading an application form, from www.highwayafrica.com.

Email completed form to awards@highwayafrica.com. Applications close Friday 5 August 2011,

16.30 South Africa time.

Enquiries:

For more information please contact Bronwyn Jacobs (b.jacobs@ru.ac.za ); +2746 603 7186.

Prix 2011 Nouveaux Médias SABC-Telkom-Highway Africa

Appel d'inscription :

Highway Africa a le plaisir d'annoncer l'appel d'inscription aux Prix Annuels Nouveaux Médias Highway Africa. Pendant 11 ans ces

prix uniques et prestigieux dans le cadre de la profession de journalisme sur le continent, ont récompensé l'usage original, innovateur

et créatif de la technologie dans le cadre du journalisme au service de l'Afrique et ses citoyens. Les Prix ont été lancés afin d'accentuer le rôle

que les technologies digitales jouent dans le journalisme et les médias en général.

La 15ième Conférence Highway Africa 2011, qui aura lieu du 17 au 19 septembre 2011, au Centre International de Convention de la Ville du

Cap, réclame la soumission d'inscriptions/ nominations pour les Prix Nouveaux Médias SABC-Telkom- Highway Africa, dans 3 catégories:

• Individuelle – décerné à des personnes individuelles qui conoivent ou approprient de nouvelles applications abordables de technologies

de communication afin de surmonter les contraintes d'infrastructure existante et/ ou de ressources de capital.

• Non-lucrative – décerné aux usagers de technologie de média approprié pour contribuer au progrès et assister les communautés

et les personnes limitées par l'infrastructure et/ ou accès technologique.

• Entreprise – décerné aux groupes d'entreprise pour une adaptation créative et appropriée de technologies au sein du continent afin de

participer efficacement dans l'environnement plus large.

Critères essentielles de participations:

Les juges considèreront/ prendrons en compte l'usage de nouvelles technologies de média:

• Avancement de la liberté de la presse sur le continent;

• Encourager l'habilitation sociale parmi les communautés marginalisées;

• Mise en avant de l'applications innovatrice et créative de technologie globale au profit du développement général des médias du continent.

•

Conditions techniques pour toutes les inscriptions:

1. Plateforme digitale /connectée, doit être fonctionnelle et actualisée.

2. Usage créatif des composants multimédia, tels que texte, photographie, vidéo.

3. Attrait esthétique, tout en étant facile à utiliser.

4. Une plateforme digitale / sur connection devrait être régulièrement actualisée pendant la période d'août 2010 et juillet 2011.

5. La décision du juge est finale et aucune correspondance ne sera encouragée après la date de clôture lorsque les annonces seront rendues publiques.

6. Highway Africa se réserve le droit de ne décerner de prix dans aucune catégorie.

Les inscriptions doivent être faites électroniquement à awards@highwayafrica.com , en copie à b.jacobs@ru.ac.za.

La date butoire est le 5 Août 2011, 16:30 heure de l'Afrique du Sud.

Les vainqueurs seront annoncés à l'occasion du prestigieux gala des Prix Nouveaux Médias SABC-Telkom-Highway Africa dans la soirée du 18 septembre

2011, durant la conférence.

Pour plus d'information, veuillez contacter Bronwyn Jacobs (b.jacobs@ru.ac.za ).

Consultez www.highwayafrica.com pour télécharger les formulaires d'inscription.

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International Institute for ICT Journalism
www.penplusbytes.org

TRAINING OPPORTUNITY IN REPORTING ON OIL, GAS AND EXTRACTIVES

The Revenue Watch Institute (www.revenuewatch.org) is in the second year of an extensive media capacity building program for suitably qualified journalists in GHANA and UGANDA. The program is designed for journalists with a demonstrated interest in reporting about the extractive sectors of oil, gas, and minerals.

The Training Program

The training program consists of two residential courses. The first course will be conducted in Accra, Ghana, on October 17-26, 2011 and will bring together participants from both Uganda and Ghana. The second course will consist of two separate sessions: one for Ghanaians on January 16-25, 2012 in Accra and one for Ugandans on January 30-February 8, 2012 in Kampala. Successful candidates will be sponsored and must commit to completing all aspects of the program.

The full course will run over a period of about seven months comprising a series of learning activities and professional support to trainees individually and collectively. There are approximately 14 places available this year – seven for Ghanaians and seven for Ugandans.

 

The Revenue Watch Institute

The Revenue Watch Institute is a non-profit policy institute and grant-making organization that promotes accountable and effective management of oil, gas and mineral resources for the public good. Good governance of oil, gas, and mineral revenues requires an informed, responsive and dynamic media environment to provide the oversight of the process and help inform the public about the issues.  This is therefore the impetus behind our training program.

The training will be delivered through a partnership of Penplusbytes in Ghana (www.reportingoilandgas.org), the African Centre for Media Excellence in Uganda (www.acme-ug.org), and Thomson Reuters Foundation (www.trust.org).

 

Training Approach

The training methodology will be a mixture of seminars, interviews, roundtable discussions, regular mentoring, field trips, workshops, and debates with technical experts and senior journalists from Ghana and Uganda. The training approaches will be interactive and practical with a focus on fundamental concepts, issues, and knowledge about the extractives. The training will also involve critiquing and supporting the work of the trainees as they produce stories and explore the issues related to reporting on extractives.

In addition there will be travel bursaries for motivated reporters to enable them to build on their professional development in this field and an annual prize for the best reporting on extractives.

 

Application Process

As this is a competitive process, places will be offered to reporters who make the strongest applications when addressing and providing the information listed below:

THREE samples of stories (could be MP3, website link, scan) on extractive industries that you have published or broadcast (clearly showing your byline where applicable and date of publication).

A short biography of no more than 200 words.

A brief statement of no more than 200 words explaining how deepening your journalistic understanding of extractives will contribute to your professional development and that of your media house.

A pitch for a story on extractives you would like to pursue: Who would you interview and why? What would be the angle and focus of the story? How does the story relate to your audience?

Contact information for your editor or editorial supervisor – telephone and email.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: AUGUST 15, 2011(new deadline)

 

HOW TO APPLY:

Submit your application material by email to: glugalambi@revenuewatch.org

Ghanaians should copy: training@penplusbytes.org

Ugandans should copy: bernard.tabaire@googlemail.com

 

 

Press Release – Official Opening of Telkom-Highway Africa Building

Celebrating a valuable contribution to African journalism, Rhodes University will officially open the new Telkom-Highway Africa Building at a ceremony at the campus on Friday 29 July.

Guests of honour at the commemorative occasion include Telkom Group Executive: Group Communication and Brand, Ms Brenda Kali, and Rhodes University Vice Chancellor, Dr Saleem Badat.

The Telkom-Highway Africa Building is part of Telkom's contribution to the success of the annual Highway Africa conference. The conference celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, and will continue its focus on the impact of the Internet on journalism and media across Africa.

Started in 1997, the programme has since grown into a multi-faceted project with research, training and news activities added on.

"Telkom is the founding partner of Highway Africa and it is especially significant that the company that first saw the potential of what would become Africa's largest annual gathering of journalists should also be the first to recognise that the project had grown and needed a permanent home," said Chris Kabwato, the Highway Africa director.

Ms Kali said that Telkom's sponsorship of Highway Africa was testament to the belief that journalism and media need to be strengthened in order to create stable and prosperous societies.

"It is therefore an honour to contribute to the School of Journalism and Media Studies' ongoing pursuit of excellence," she said.

---------------

ABOUT TELKOM:

Telkom is a leading communications services provider in South Africa and on the African continent. We had consolidated normalised operating revenue from continuing operations of R33.4 billion and normalised profit for the year from continuing operations of R2.4 billion for the year ended 31 March 2011. Total assets from continuing operations amounted to R54.3 billion and equity attributable to the owners of Telkom to R29.6 billion as of 31 March

2011.

About Highway Africa

Highway Africa is a flagship programme of Rhodes University. For 15 years the programme has hosted Africa's largest annual gathering of journalists and is focused on the interface of journalism, media and digital technologies (internet and mobile).

Media Inquiries: Chris Kabwato, Mobile: +27 82 582 9534, e-mail: c.kabwato@ru.ac.za

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International Institute for ICT Journalism
www.penplusbytes.org

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

Penplusbytes marks 10 years of inspiring ICT Journalism today

The International Institute for ICT Journalism (Penplusbytes) turns 10 today - 18th July 2011. Over the past 10 years Penplusbytes has worked to achieve its vision of Driving Excellence in ICT Journalism.

Penplusbytes is posed to achieve its mission statement in the years to come

"To be the leader for developing ICT Journalism by:

a) Empowering & Building the capacity of the media through cutting edge ICT skills
b) Developing a vibrant research capability in ICT Journalism to support the Media and other Stakeholders
c) Building a vibrant community of ICT journalists around the world.
d) Advocating for media rights in the Information society.

 

• African Elections Project www.africanelections.org
• Elections in Africa twitter www.twitter.com/africanelection
• Reporting Oil and Gas project http://reportingoilandgas.org/ 
• PenPlusBytes Website  www.penplusbytes.org
• Follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/penplusbytes
• Join our social networking space at http://penplusybytes.ning.com/
• Interact online via discussion space : http://dgroups.org/groups/penplusbytes
• Our video Channel : http://www.youtube.com/penplusbytes
• New media online project http://newmediaskool.org/
• Design Communication Course http://designcomm.penplusbytes.org/
• Online Global Course in ICT Journalism http://www.penplusbytes.org/ppb_detail.cfm?prodcatID=3&tblNewsCatID=15&tblNewsID=130
• Blogging at http://www.penplusbytes.blogspot.com/

Watch out for anniversary programs 

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International Institute for ICT Journalism
www.penplusbytes.org

MISA response to Attempts to Muzzle Private Media in Botswana

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Botswana wishes to
express its concern over the growing and supposed building of a case
against the private media that has been taunted in the State Media
recently, under the title of rebuttals, on numerous occasions such as
the following dates: 03/06/2011, 09/06/2011, 21/06/2011, 23/06/2011
and on the 30th of June this year. The government, through its State
Media, seems to be attempting to build a case to justify an eventual
gagging of the Private Media. The rebuttals clearly seek to discredit
the private media, while failing to show what wrong exactly, they have
committed. MISA Botswana views this as an attempt at building a case
for a crackdown on the Private Media.

MISA Botswana would like to reaffirm the indispensable and crucial
role of media in a democratic dispensation where freedom of expression
and ideas are allowed to flow without state interference. This role is
the responsibility of not only the private media but the state media
as well, which, unfortunately of late, has abdicated its role of the
dissemination of balanced information. A democratic society through
its media houses should allow its citizens, the opportunity to share
different ideas and views. Without such responsible media where free
flow of expression is allowed, then Botswana's image as a democratic
state will become a thing of the past. The use of State Media to
prevent such expression through other media cannot be condoned and
should not be accepted as justifiable.

The Media in this country, especially the private media, operates
under a very irksome and difficult environment without access to
information legislation which MISA Botswana has long called for
without success. It then follows that media struggle to acquire
information for their daily operation in the first place and are later
accused of not reporting accurately.

Additionally, MISA has also long called for a three tier principle of
broadcasting environment; where Community, Private and Public (and not
government) broadcasting obtain. Instead of acceding to the above
proposals which would broaden the broadcasting space and create an
enabling environment for our media, the government has opted to enact
the controversial Media Practitioners Act- a regressive piece of
legislation which MISA will continue to fight for it to be repealed.

The current attitude by those in power, "of shooting the messenger" as
the saying goes, cannot be allowed to go on indefinitely. MISA
Botswana therefore wishes to call on all stakeholders to allow the
free flow of ideas and expression to become a norm in the new Botswana
towards Vision 2016, whose tenants also, call for a freedom of
Information Act. It is in this light that, MISA Botswana wishes to
raise alarm over the current unending use of the State Media to issue
rebuttals by government without truly challenging the facts reported
by the private media. This concern is premised on the fear that what
is happening in the State Media is a bad practice that could end up
disabling the media in general, in its execution of its core mandate,
of informing the nation.

________________
Modise Maphanyane
MISA Botswana Chairperson

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International Institute for ICT Journalism
www.penplusbytes.org

AP updates its social media guidelines for staff

Associate Press (AP) has released an update to its social media guidelines for its staff 

To read the guidelines visit http://www.ap.org/pages/about/pressreleases/documents/socialmediaguidelinesforapstaff2011.pdf

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International Institute for ICT Journalism
www.penplusbytes.org

Highway Africa New Media Awards 2011(Closing date for entries is August 2011, 16:30 South African time)

Rhodes University's Highway Africa programme and its partners are pleased to announce the opening of the nomination process for the prestigious Highway Africa New Media Awards.

For 11 years these unique awards within the profession of journalism on the continent, have been rewarding pioneering, innovative and creative use of technology in journalism and the media. The Awards were established reward and recognise African innovation in the area of digital media and to highlight the role that digital technologies play in journalism and the media at large.

The Highway Africa New Media Awards are in three categories: 

Individual – awarded to individual persons who design or appropriate new affordable applications of communication technologies to overcome the limitations of existing infrastructure and / or capital resources. 

Not – for – profit – awarded to users of appropriate media technology to advance and assist communities and persons limited by infrastructure and / or technological access. 

Corporate – awarded to corporate groups for creative and appropriate adaptation of technologies within the continent to complete effectively in the wider environment.

Submissions can be made electronically to awards@highwayafrica.com copied to m.letlhaku@ru.ac.za and b.jacobs@ru.ac.za. 

The closing date for entries is August 2011, 16:30 South African time.

The winners will be announced at the prestigious SABC-Telkom-Highway Africa New Media Awards gala dinner on the evening of 18 September 2011 during the 15th edition of the Highway Africa Conference.

For more information contact Bronwyn Jacobs (b.jacobs@ru.ac.za )  or Visit www.highwayafrica.com to download entry forms.

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International Institute for ICT Journalism
www.penplusbytes.org