PENPLUSBYTES HOLDS FUTURE JOURNALISTS PROJECT 2014 ON NEWS INNOVATIONS

The 2014 edition of the annual Journalism mentoring programme, dubbed the “future Journalism Project”, designed by the International Institute of ICT Journalism – Penplusbytes to provide professional nurturing opportunity to Journalism and Communication students, is slated for Wednesday, October 8th, 2014 at the New Media Hub, Osu- Accra.

With this year’s event focused on exploring technologically efficient ways of propagating news information in a largely digitizing world, Penplusbytes have instituted the “The Future of News Competition”, which will be preceded by a half-day workshop on the central theme of “News Innovations”.

The workshop is to help expose the need in pushing beyond the imaginary boundaries of news dissemination by boosting the capacities of participants to identify and better appreciate the gains existing in leveraging the rather increasing technology avenues such as social media tools in the news generation process.

Participating in the one day event are 11 invited Communication and Journalism schools that will be expected to come out with innovative ideas for publishing news. Each school is expected to be represented by a three member team who will make a case for their various innovations through a presentation to a panel of judges after which the winner will be rewarded with a cash prize of GH₵ 2000 and a certificate.

“This is a unique platform for our would-be communicators and Journalists, affording them the chance to shape the future of journalistic excellence by bringing to bear their ideas of news innovations and showcasing diversity in strategy for news dissemination in our new digital age with a chance of being rewarded and this is exactly what Penplusbytes stands for; excellence.” Kwami Ahiabenu, II, President, Penplusbytes.

A mentorship mechanism is in place to ensure that participating students will, ahead of the competition, receive continuous assistance and tutelage from astute practitioners on their various innovative works for the competition after which winners will be rewarded with cash prizes and certificates.

ABOUT:

Penplusbytes is a leading pan-African, not for profit organization, that seeks to empower the media through the use of ICTs to promote high quality journalism while at the same time working in good governance and technology, new media and innovations, as well as oil, gas and mining.

GHANA BROADCASTING CORPORATION STAFF TRAINING ON NEW MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES BEGINS AT THE NEW MEDIA HUB

The International Institute of ICT Journalism, Penplusbytes, is taking staff of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) through a structured capacity building strategy in the application of new digital technologies at the New Media Hub in Accra from Tuesday, September 23, 2014 to Friday, 3rd October, 2014.

Present during a short opening ceremony on day one of the training were Mrs Joyce Ngoh, Director, Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) / Voice of America (VOA) W. Africa Office of Strategy and Development, Major Albert Don-Chebe (retd), Director - General, GBC and  Betty Apau-Opong, Acting director of Television, GBC.

With the key objective of improving the quality of program content as well as interactions with viewership on the channel by actively making use of new digital technologies, the 11-day capacity building initiative, will draw the participation of 45 Television (GTV) newsroom team members who will be looking to improve on the quality of their journalism while delivering high quality interactive content to their audience.

The detailed design of the programme which is funded by the Voice of America (VOA), with intentions to support its partner in Ghana, Ghana Television (GTV), includes training for 3 classes of 15 participants each over the following dates:  Class 1, 23rd – 25th September 2014; Class 2, 26th, 29th - 30th September 2014 and Class 3, 1st - 3rd October 2014.

According to Kwami Ahiabenu, II, President of Penplusbytes, “the use of new digital technologies is rapidly rising in Ghana with journalists and news media being offered unlimited opportunities to enhancing the quality of their stories while interacting better with audiences who are now gradually migrating from traditional news channels mediums to new ones such as mobile, online and social media. The implementation of this project, therefore, is in light of these exciting new developments.”

Participants will over the programme’s duration be taken through, and in an in-depth manner, topics such as Online Journalism and Research, Using social media as news source, storytelling and research, Computer Assisted Journalism, User Content Generation, Writing for the web and Building your presence online by Penplusbytes’ unique new digital technologies pool of experts and mentors who have proven capacity to deliver world class training.

ABOUT

Penplusbytes is a leading pan-African, not for profit organisation seeks to empower the media through the use of ICTs to promote high quality journalism while at the same time working in good governance and technology, new media and innovations, as well as oil, gas and mining.

Ghana: Penplusbytes' Digital Platform Yielding Results

By Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh

The intervention by the Committee on Government Assurances (CGA) to engage citizens at all levels to participate in the governance process by tracking and monitoring assurances has yielded significant inputs from citizens through the utilization of well-developed digital platforms that allows them to report on the progress of work on various projects promised by government.

As part of the project "Providing Effective Feedback to Parliament through Digital Technologies", with financial and technical support from STAR-Ghana, the International Institute of ICT Journalism- Penplusbytes, the institution responsible for the digital platform, together with the research and support staff of the CGA, embarked on a four-day pre-verification tour of sites of selected assurances in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions to assess, at first hand, the veracity of claims and reports communicated to the committee by citizens.

The trip, which happened from the 2nd to the 5th of September, took members of the team to project sites at the Tafo general Hospital and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital where construction works on maternity blocks are currently on-going, and then to the newly constructed 5 polyclinics in the Brong Ahafo Region.

The outcome of this trip will form part of a report that will be generated and passed on to the CGA ahead of their own monitoring visit at a later date after which a final report will serve as evidence; based on which appropriate sector ministers will be held to account during the committee's public hearings.

According to Jerry Sam, Projects Director at Penplusbytes, "the visit was necessitated by the need to confirm the authenticity of citizens' feedback on the assurances and after everything we saw, we can only attest to the growing effectiveness of the partnership between citizens and the governance process through this project".

"The digital platform has received thousands of messages from citizens mostly on assurances being presently monitored by the committee and the verification process is to ascertain the progress of work in those regions", he added.

The project, which aims at empowering parliament through the CGA to effectively play its oversight role on the Executive to ensure improved public service delivery, has meant that citizens through the online digital platforms created by the committee are now better informed and updated on pertinent assurance that affect their lives via SMS, web-forms, mobile apps as well as social media.

This has enabled them to actively keep track of key government promises and to send feedback reports to the committee via the same channels.

The Committee is scheduled to commence public hearings this year and would seek to query ministers on the fulfillment of their undertakings they had made to the citizens of Ghana as per the standing orders of the House.

This would engender transparency and accountability and compel ministers to deliver on all promises and on the agenda of government.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201409120199.html

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International Institute for ICT Journalism
www.penplusbytes.org

What Does Independent Journalism Look Like in the Digital Age?

If you worked in an industry—one absolutely critical to the proper functioning of society—but which exposed you to constant harassment and danger, how would you feel?

This is the situation that many of the world's journalists find themselves in: punished, vilified, imprisoned, attacked, even killed, for uncovering and reporting the facts. Supportive editors fired, cameras smashed, websites attacked, presses silenced, communications compromised, stories suppressed. From China to Bulgaria to Nicaragua, newspapers, websites, radio and TV stations, and the journalists working for them have faced threats of these kinds.

What you may not realize is that, in many cases, working journalists and media organizations find themselves at the sharp end of these threats as a result of policy, law, and regulations that are either failing and inadequate, or deliberately repressive and controlling. 

Today we're publishing the global findings of our Mapping Digital Media project, investigating the forces affecting digital media and journalism in 56 countries worldwide—one of the largest such studies ever completed—researched and written by teams of local experts. The reports examine 15 of the world's 20 most populous countries, covering more than 4.5 billion of the world's population, and 16 of the world's 20 largest economies. The reports reveal common themes across the world:

• Governments and politicians have too much influence over who owns the media, who wins licenses to operate newspapers, radio and TV stations, and how the media are regulated—all of which undermines independent journalism.
• Many media markets are not free and fair, but are dominated by a few major players, and are rife with corrupt or non-transparent practices.
• Media and journalism on the internet offer hope of new, independent sources of information, but are also a new battleground for those seeking to control information.

It's striking how, across 56 countries of every type and size, these issues crop up again and again: political interference, control or even ownership of the media, lack of affordable access to the internet, declining resources, and worsening labor conditions for journalists. One key finding makes clear how vitally important it is for the public interest to have vigorous civil society involvement in the media policy process: without consistent civil society participation, laws are likely to be of lower quality, and are less likely to be properly implemented.

But the upside also comes across clearly in the Mapping Digital Media reports. If digitization is handled in the public interest, it can help advance open society values. Despite the vast and continuing challenges facing independent media worldwide, there are signs in many countries that progress is being made, with inclusive media policies being developed or in prospect.

On an international level, a growing coalition of civil society groups is looking to ensure that the post-2015 development framework includes for the first time a measure on freedom of the media. And increasingly, other sectors are recognizing the importance of supporting and protecting the media on a structural, systemic level. Governance, transparency, and accountability in particular depend on a healthy, robust independent media and journalism sector.

For independent journalism to thrive, policy, law, and regulation all need to change and update to take account of the real and evolving needs of journalism itself as an independent force in society. From increasing channel diversity and market transparency, to supporting new revenue models for independent journalism and greater civil society engagement in media and communication policy, to protecting the safety, security, and sources of journalists, the opportunities are within our reach.

The Mapping Digital Media research we're releasing today—accessibly written and focused on the public interest dimensions of the media environment—adds a new dimension to the wealth of analysis and diagnosis from policymakers, academics, regulators, and industry players. The time has come for the opportunities created by digital media to be grasped.

http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/what-does-independent-journalism-look-digital-age?utm_source=media_B&utm_medium=email&utm_content=miEFP43KjAbAu0YdSsmyyt-XETb26vzzne29PzWVfyE&utm_campaign=media_B_091314


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International Institute for ICT Journalism
www.penplusbytes.org

Penplusbytes undertakes Pre- Verification visit on Citizens’ reports on Government Assurances

The intervention by the Committee on Government Assurances (CGA) to engage citizens at all levels to participate in the governance process by tracking and monitoring assurances has yielded significant inputs from citizens through the utilization of well-developed digital platforms that allows them to report on the progress of work on various projects promised by government.

As part of the project “Providing Effective Feedback to Parliament through Digital Technologies”, with financial and technical support from STAR-Ghana, the International Institute of ICT Journalism- Penplusbytes, the institution responsible for the digital platform, together with the research and support staff of the CGA, embarked on a 4-day pre-verification tour of sites of selected assurances in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions to assess, at first hand, the veracity of claims and reports communicated to the committee by citizens.

The trip, which happened from the 2nd to the 5th of September, took members of the team to project sites at the Tafo general Hospital and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital where construction works on maternity blocks are currently on-going, and then to the newly constructed 5 polyclinics in the Brong Ahafo Region. The outcome of this trip will form part of a report that will be generated and passed on to the CGA ahead of their own monitoring visit at a later date after which a final report will serve as evidence; based on which appropriate sector ministers will be held to account during the committee’s public hearings.

According to Jerry Sam, Projects Director at Penplusbytes, “the visit was necessitated by the need to confirm the authenticity of citizens’ feedback on the assurances and after everything we saw, we can only attest to the growing effectiveness of the partnership between citizens and the governance process through this project”.

“The digital platform has received thousands of messages from citizens mostly on assurances being presently monitored by the committee and the verification process is to ascertain the progress of work in those regions”, He added.

The project, which aims at empowering parliament through the CGA to effectively play its oversight role on the Executive to ensure improved public service delivery, has meant that citizens through the online digital platforms created by the committee are now better informed and updated on pertinent assurance that affect their lives via SMS, web-forms, mobile apps as well as social media. This has enabled them to actively keep track of key government promises and to send feedback reports to the committee via the same channels.

The Committee is scheduled to commence public hearings this year and would seek to query ministers on the fulfillment of their undertakings they had made to the citizens of Ghana as per the standing orders of the House. This would engender transparency and accountability and compel ministers to deliver on all promises and on the agenda of government.

About:

Penplusbytes is a not-for-profit organization that seeks to empower the media through the use of Information and Communications Technology to advance journalism in the coverage of governance and accountability, new media and innovations, and mining, oil and gas.

STAR-Ghana is a multi- donor pooled funding mechanism (Funded by DFID, DANIDA, EU and USAID) to increase the influence of civil society and Parliament in the governance of public goods and service delivery, with the ultimate goal of improving the accountability and responsiveness of Ghana’s government, traditional authorities and the private sector.

Penplusbytes undertake Social Media Campaign for citizens input in 2015 Ghana Budget

The International Institute of ICT Journalism – Penplusbytes has launched a social media drive to reach out and encourage citizens and other professional bodies to send their inputs electronically into the shaping of the 2015 national budget which would be read in November 2014.

As a lead organization in the development of tools and applications that promote citizen participation in governance, Penplusbytes’ latest effort which is currently in full flight, involves getting citizens attention and soliciting their participation by sending them messages and alerts via  online/social media platforms - twitter and  Facebook, mashed up with mailing lists and bulk SMS.

According to Jerry Sam, Director of Projects at Penplusbytes, “most people, basically, have a general awareness of the importance of the National budget but only a few know of the existence of an opportunity to play an active participatory role in determining what or which key areas of the National economy is impacted upon by making their contributions known.”

“The purpose for this rigorous publicity drive falls perfectly in line with our Citizens’ budget project which aims at simplifying the National budget statement into an easy-to-read and comprehensible document to court and sustain citizens’ interest in the governance process to ensure accountability.” He added

This campaign is under the project “Producing A Citizens’ budget For Ghana” (www.myghanabudget.org) and is being implemented by Penplusbytes and FAT-Africa with technical support from STAR-Ghana with the aim of increasing access to national budget by citizens through development of simplified citizens' budget. It is also in response to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning’s invitation to receive from recognized professional bodies, associations, civil society organizations and individuals, ideas and contributions that may be considered during the formulation of the 2015 budget statement.

The window of opportunity to make such valued input into the National budget however closes on the 5th of September, 2014.

Editor’s Note

FAT-Africa is a Civil Society Organization and a Think Tank that advocates and promotes Good Financial Governance with the aim of creating an enabling climate to nurture a culture of efficient public sector and financial management principles in Africa.

Penplusbytes established in 2001 seeks to empower the media through the use of ICTs to advance the course of journalism in 3 areas: governance and accountability, new media and innovations and oil, gas and mining.www.reportingoilandgas.org is a project of Penplusbytes.

STAR-Ghana is a multi- donor pooled funding mechanism (Funded by DFID, DANIDA, EU and USAID) to increase the influence of civil society and Parliament in the governance of public goods and service delivery, with the ultimate goal of improving the accountability and responsiveness of Ghana’s government, traditional authorities and the private sector.

Did you know you can shape Ghana’s 2015 budget?

Public Input into the 2015 Budget Statement and Economic Policy

This campaign is brought to you by www.myghanabudget.org, a joint project by www.penplusbytes.org and Financial Accountability and Transparency Africa (FAT Africa) with support from STAR-Ghana. Download the mobile simplified national budget www.myghanabudget.org/mobile

Budget reading is the most visible and popular aspect in the budget cycle where the Minister of Finance presents the budget to law makers for legislation. A very important step after budget formulation is enactment where key stakeholders including civil society groups and citizens have a great potential of shaping the budget through provision of input.

Ghana is currently at the important stage of its 2015 budget cycle; The Ministry of Finance is soliciting inputs from recognised professional bodies, associations, civil society organisations and citizens, ideas and contributions that may be considered during the process of formulating the budget statement.

Based on this call, citizens and key stakeholders can contribute to shaping Ghana’s 2015 national budget. The window for this call ends on 5th September 2014 and it is expected that the budget statement for 2015 will be presented to parliament in November for debate and passage in December 2014.

Interested persons can send contributions directly to The Director of Budget, ROOM 417, Ministry of Finance, Email:  bdu@mofep.gov.gh or The Public Relations Office, Ministry of Finance, Box MB40, Accra, Fax numbers 0302-665132/663854. Email: pr@mofep.gov.gh

www.myghanabudget.org is designed to facilitate public participation, provoke debate around the budget and help shape public policy. The project also seeks to promote civil society participation at all stages of the national budget preparation and implementation thereby strengthening Ghana’s democracy and accountability expected from Government.

About

FAT-Africa is a Civil Society Organization and a Think Tank that advocates and promotes Good Financial Governance with the aim of creating an enabling climate to nurture a culture of efficient public sector and financial management principles in Africa.

Penplusbytes established in 2001 seeks to empower the media through the use of ICTs to advance the course of journalism in 3 areas: governance and accountability, new media and innovations and oil, gas and mining.www.reportingoilandgas.org is a project of Penplusbytes.

STAR-Ghana is a multi- donor pooled funding mechanism (Funded by DFID, DANIDA, EU and USAID) to increase the influence of civil society and Parliament in the governance of public goods and service delivery, with the ultimate goal of improving the accountability and responsiveness of Ghana’s government, traditional authorities and the private sector.