The Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) has launched the 3rd African Media Convention to explore patterns that hinder the freedom of expression and media, challenges related to the financial stability and endurance of the media, and the well-being and protection of journalists in Africa.
The three-day convention was launched in Accra with the inauguration of a local organizing committee (LOC) for the May 15-17, 2024 continent-wide media conference.
In commemorating the launch, Minister of Information, Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, who was present at the event emphasized that the convention is not just about a singular aspect of media but a wholistic transformation noting that the industry’s progress has long been hindered by a lack of cohesion among stakeholders.
“.. the Africa Media Convention is a fast-growing platform that in the coming years will generate a coalition of ideas, support systems, and actors to shape the future of media in Africa and hopefully around the world. I say media because it goes beyond journalism, …it also includes all the other aspects of media production, audio visuals, cameras and the editing benches. It’s the generality of media that will be impacted by the work that the African Media Convention has started.
“As I’ve mentioned on several locations, this industry of ours has been held back for many years mainly because we have not collaborated enough as stakeholders to fashion out and execute solutions and a positive African narrative globally which would in turn lead to attracting more positive interests in Africa.”
He expressed the need to shift the narrative of Africa on the global stage, focusing not only on challenges and also underscored the convention’s role as a platform to influencing media content positively for African Gen Z.
“The African story when on the global scene is usually a story of failure, corruption, poverty, especially even when told by African journalists. While that may be true, there is also a lot of room to tell the African story of success, progress, resilience and excellence. And so we are hoping that this convention will be an opportunity where African media minds scholars and think through how to promote a positive African narrative globally. As I mentioned, this will lead to attracting more positive interests in Africa.”
On one of agendas of the convention, the Minister implied there would be a dedicated focus in combatting the growing trend of misinformation on social media platforms across the continent particularly its threat to democracy across Africa and empower media professionals, academics, and creators to intentionally craft content that uplifts, inspires, and resonates with the unique perspectives of the African youth.
“We should focus attention on how to combat the growing trend of misinformation on the continent’s social media platforms, especially in the face of threats to democracy and the use of disinformation to spread attacks on democracy across the continent. The gathering should also focus on how to collaborate and deepen content creation, and by so saying, I mean media content creation that is designed to positively program African Gen Zs…we are hoping that the gathering will focus attention on how to collaborate and deepen media content creation on the continent to positively program African Gen Zs.”
He added that the government of Ghana is poised in promoting the convention and also urged state institutions to take advantage of the platform.
“The government of Ghana, under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo, as has been mentioned earlier, is supporting the organization of this conference fully with the financial underwriting and the state logistics that are required to give our participants, including our foreign visitors, a befitting experience. We also urge state bodies such as the Ghana Investment Promotion Center, the Ghana Tourism Agency, the Ghana Export Promotion Authority to take advantage of this platform to expand opportunities for Ghana.”
The 3rd African Media Convention (AMC) is set to span three days, centered around the theme ‘Freedom of Expression, Sustainable Development, and Environmental Crises.’ The convention will delve into discussions on factors hindering freedom of expression and media freedom, exploring topics such as media viability, sustainability, and the safety of journalists.
Anticipating the participation of approximately 600 international delegates from 50 African countries, the event will draw in representatives from the African Union Commission, civil society organizations, the diplomatic corps, non-governmental organizations, researchers, academia, and more. Initiated by The African Editors’ Forum (TAEF), the convention aims to protect the hard-earned media freedoms and journalist safety in Africa.
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Story by : Cindy Selasi Humade || univers.ug.edu.gh
