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.