Media in Africa

Reshaping reportage on Africa

Friday, 22 January 2010 12:23

South Africa's Rhodes University, in the Eastern Cape province, and Unesco are in the process of developing a syllabus for better reporting on Africa.

(3 Votes)

Tags: Rhodes University - Unesco - Fackson Banda - World Journalism Education Congress - Ghana Institute of Journalism - Namibia University Department of Media Studies - Tshwane University of Technology - Stellenbosch University - Walter Sisulu University - South Africa

AFP Somalia journalist clinches key press award

Wednesday, 25 November 2009 12:00

An AFP journalist among the very few independent journalists still working in war-torn Mogadishu received a key press award for his work on Tuesday along with three other reporters.

(2 Votes)

Tags: Journalism - AFP - Mustafa Haji Abdinur - Committee to Protect Journalists - International Press Freedom Awards - Naziha Rejiba - Kalima - Tunisia - Radio Simba - Somalia

Sudan's Bashir lifts censorship of newspapers

Monday, 28 September 2009 14:23

President Omar al-Bashir on Sunday announced the immediate lifting of state censorship on the press, meeting a key demand of the media ahead of Sudan's first elections in almost 25 years.

(3 Votes)

Tags: Omar al-Bashir - newspaper - media. freedom - decree - elections - Ali Shimo - Sudan

Guinea military lifts broadcasting ban

Thursday, 10 September 2009 14:58

Guinea's military government has lifted a ban on political radio and television programming. The country is preparing for elections early next year. The ban was imposed after people started using radio call-in shows to criticise the expected candidacy of military ruler Moussa Camara.

(2 Votes)

Tags: military - media - ban - political - radio - criticism - Guinea

Highway Africa kicks-off discussion on 2010 journalism

Sunday, 06 September 2009 10:53

Highway Africa, the single largest gathering of journalists from across the African continent, has launched in South Africa this weekend.

The theme of the three day conference is Reporting Africa: 2010, Development & Democracy and will see key players from across the African media landscape coming together to debate the impact journalists will have in the promotion of Africa through the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

(3 Votes)

Tags: media - gathering - conference - 2010 - World Cup - FIFA - journalism - Rhodes University - MTN - Africa

Gambian president pardons critical journalists

Friday, 04 September 2009 10:34

Six Gambian journalists sentenced last month to two years in prison after publishing comments critical of the tiny west African nation's president walked free on Thursday after receiving pardons.

(1 Vote)

Tags: media - Yahya Jammeh - The Gambia

Zimbabwe lifts restrictions on BBC

Thursday, 30 July 2009 12:58

British public broadcaster the BBC will be able to report from Zimbabwe for the first time in eight years after restrictions were lifted by the country's government, according to a report in the Zimbabwe Times on Wednesday.

(4 Votes)

Tags: BBC - CNN - Jon Williams - Sarah Halfpenny - Webster Shamu - Zimbabwe

Kenyan named best African journalist for 2009

Tuesday, 21 July 2009 10:27

John-Allan Namu, from Kenya, has been awarded the top prize at this year's CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2009 Awards Ceremony. "I feel immensely honoured. This goes to show anyone from any walk of life can stand amongst giants," said Namu.

(3 Votes)

Tags: CNN - Multichoice - African Journalist - John-Allan Nomu - Durban - South Africa - Azubuike Ishiekwene - Tony Maddox - Nicaise Kibel'bel Oka - Kenya

Unesco and AU to boost journalism in Africa

Monday, 20 July 2009 12:56

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) and the African Union (AU) Commission have signed a special agreement to strengthen journalism in Africa, particularly in science and technology.

(1 Vote)

Tags: UNESCO - AU - journalism - media - growth - development - Africa

Cameroonian reporter wins courage in journalism award

Wednesday, 27 May 2009 06:47

Cameroonian journalist's unflinching reporting on human rights and corruption in her country has won her international recognition with the 2009 Courage in Journalism Award.

(2 Votes)

Tags: journalist - reporter - Courage in Journalism Award - Agnes Taile - Cameroon

Zambian filmmaker reaches final of Youtube competition

Friday, 22 May 2009 12:21

A Zambian filmmaker has won a place in the final of the inaugural Democracy Video Challenge online film contest.

(1 Vote)

Samuel Jackson to star as Kenyan pirate negotiator

Monday, 18 May 2009 16:13

Samuel_L_Jackson_at_San_Diego_ComicCon_2008 A Kenyan pirate negotiator has told of his surprise at hearing that he is to be the subject of a Hollywood film, but reckons he may be too busy to see it.

Andrew Mwangura heads the non-profit East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme, which works to free ships held by Somali sea raiders.

Tags: Big Brother - piracy - Somalia - Mwangura - Kenya

Ghana, Mali, Mauritius top for press freedom in Africa

Monday, 04 May 2009 16:20

Ghana, Mali, and Mauritius had the highest press freedom ranking in Africa in Freedom House's annual Freedom of the Press Report recently released in Washington, DC.

(1 Vote)

M-Net gathers rights to African films

Monday, 20 April 2009 14:42

M-Net Electronic Media Network has quietly begun investing in buying all rights for more than 450 African films, a move the company sees as bringing the rights back to Africa.

(1 Vote)

New independent daily newspaper for Zimbabwe

Monday, 16 March 2009 14:22

newspaper_press For the first time since 2004, Zimbabweans will be able to read a new independent daily newspaper.

NewsDay, the new daily, is the brain-child of Trevor Ncube. Ncube is currently the publisher of the only two weekly independent newspapers in Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Independent and The Standard, as well as being the owner of South Africa's Mail & Guardian.

Ncube said his company was encouraged by the improvement in the legislative framework late last year. “NewsDay will play a vital role in rebuilding our nation. We will leverage off the political agreement to be the voice of a new Zimbabwe,” Ncube said.

(1 Vote)

Tags: Zimbabwe

Covering both sides of the coin

Thursday, 26 February 2009 16:12

africamedia_s Today, Africa has changed dramatically, and like the star who seeks to redeem himself in the media, so now Africa strives to rebrand itself.

Throughout the continent Africans are shouting loud and clear, both in words and actions. They want the world to know that a new day has dawned. Meanwhile, the media rewinds its old, out of date tape and plays it over again.

(1 Vote)

Africa and the media: who is failing whom?

Thursday, 26 February 2009 15:54

There is a perception that Africa only receives negative coverage from the international media and, as a result, that the Western media are doing Africa a disservice. While there is little doubt that Africa has received more than its fair share of news coverage highlighting stories of death, disease, disaster and despair, it begs the questions: why does Africa only seem to receive coverage on all that is wrong? And who is responsible for this skewed representation of the continent?