opportunitiesforafricans’ Post

A few years ago, in partnership with UNESCO, we asked, "What is the State of Media Freedom and Safety of Journalists in Africa?" Today, our findings remain as crucial as ever! Find them here >>> https://lnkd.in/ds2s3v_M We maintain that the media in Africa continues to face serious challenges in the execution of its work. The minimal progress in the advancement of press freedom and freedom of expression on the continent has been whitewashed by legislation and actions by some states that continue to hinder the development of a professional and independent media. #WPFD2024 #InternetFreedomAfrica

A majority of the world’s population has experienced a decline in press freedom in recent years, according to a UN report. In East Africa, the results are mixed and debatable. In Rwanda, both international press freedom rankings and journalists on the ground say press freedom has increased over the past 10 years. In neighbouring Uganda, both international rankings and local journalists say media freedom has declined. In Kenya, rankings reflect declining freedom over the past decade, but reporters acknowledge they have more freedom than their counterparts in Uganda and Rwanda. https://lnkd.in/drynZz-F

👉 Check out ARTICLE 19's campaign #CheckitFirst to promote ethical journalism and prevent the spread of fake news in the Western Balkans! ❗Media in BiH, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia often serve political interests, risking democracy and spreading disinformation. This initiative collaborates with journalists to enhance news accuracy, promote media literacy, and uphold integrity in reporting. 🔗 Learn more about the campaign here https://cutt.ly/4erPvG3Y

🗞 Project to support media from de-occupied and front-line territories launched As early as June, NUJU will select editors who will receive mentoring, technical and financial support to improve content quality and economic sustainability. ✒ Thanks to the project "Strengthening the Media in the Recently De-Occupied Territories", journalists will be able to increase the amount of content for local media to meet citizens' needs for verified objective information, and as a result, deepen cooperation between the media and representatives of civil society for positive changes in communities. The project is implemented by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine within the framework of the USAID project "Democratic Governance in Eastern Ukraine". The participants of the project will be newsrooms and journalists from the Kharkiv, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Kyiv regions - 20 newsrooms and 50 local journalists, bloggers and civil activists who'll be selected on a competitive basis according to objective and transparent criteria.  ⬇ More details about the project can be found on the website of NUJU. https://lnkd.in/ev9axMjx

‼ According to the results of the #FOICA study, 54.5% of the 77 journalists who participated in the survey assessed the content of the responses to the inquiries sent to state bodies as insufficient. According to journalists: 💬 a survey consisting of several questions is often answered in one sentence, 💬 in some cases, the answers provided are very general, not substantive, 💬 the answers sometimes resemble a pile of words, etc. 📌 According to 49.3% of journalists, responses to inquiries with numbered questions are "rarely" or "never" numbered. This indicates that information holders are either deliberately ignoring the statutory procedure for responding to a request, or are unaware of the regulation, or both. 📍 The link to the study "The right to information of journalists in Armenia-2024" is posted in the comments. It was implemented by FOICA in April 2024 within the framework of the "Media Development Program of Armenia" funded by USAID Armenia, which is implemented by Internews in Armenia. #mediaprograminarmenia, #FOICA #AccessToInformation 

As the situation in Lebanon continues to escalate, the need for independent, accurate information becomes only more important. IMS recommends following updates from our partners: Daraj Media is an independent digital media platform specialising in investigative pieces, op-eds and features. They focus on under-reported topics like women and minorities’ rights, environmental and climate changes, freedom of expression and gender identity. Megaphone is an online independent media platform producing multimedia content on current affairs as well as social and cultural commentary. Megaphone's aim is to bring Lebanese politics closer to audiences that feel alienated by traditional media. The Public Source | مصدر عام is a Beirut-based media organisation dedicated to independent journalism and commentary from the left. They write critically on vital issues from local perspectives in the service of the public interest and in solidarity with Global South populations. Raseef22 رصيفــ22 is an independent digital media outlet with a broad audience in the Arab speaking countries. Raseef22 is focused on a new awareness of citizenship and on promoting values in line with human rights to build a better future for people in the region.

NEWS AFRICA Africa: End the Negative Narrative, Africa is Thriving - AfDB Chief The AllAfrica Media Leaders' Summit convenes in Nairobi after a decade, gathering top figures from 48 countries to discuss reshaping African media amidst technological shifts. Dr. Akinwumi Adesina of AfDB underscores the importance of independent media in the face of COVID-19 and social media challenges. He champions Africa's positive developments but criticizes their underreporting, proposing a well-funded, independent African media organization. Adesina warns against the rise of misinformation and calls for African-led storytelling to counter biases. The summit emphasizes supporting African journalists and promoting accurate portrayals of the continent, echoing Chinua Achebe's call for Africans to author their own narrative.

Digital News Report 2024 | Africa launch Presentation of #DNR24 findings with a panel of expert journalists and media scholars from across Africa

Even in countries with parliamentary democracies and elections should be part of this assessment.

For months, we have been calling for access to #Gaza for foreign media and press arguing that it is unacceptable that the burden of keeping the world informed about Israel's war lies solely on the shoulders of Gaza's local journalists who are displaced, deprived and traumatised.   We called on governments, world leaders and global media outlets to put pressure on the Israeli authorities to end the ban on foreign journalists entering Gaza to report freely. We are pleased to now see that over 50 influential reporters, editors and correspondents have joint forces to call for exactly this. The letter reads:   “There is intense global interest in the events in Gaza and for now the only reporting has come from journalists who were already based there. It’s vital that local journalists’ safety is respected and that their efforts are bolstered by the journalism of members of the international media. The need for comprehensive on the ground reporting of the conflict is imperative."   The list of signatories includes journalists from outlets such as the BBC News, CNN, Sky News, ABC, CBS News and Stations and Channel 4. Full letter: https://lnkd.in/dQ-7-jcF