The curtain has just fallen upon the 11th Highway Africa conference, at Rhodes University in South Africa. The occasion is the world’s largest gathering of African journalists.
Once again over 500 delegates from some 40 countries, including Seychelles converged on the temperamental municipality of Grahamstown, this time to engage on the chosen theme “Quality and professionalism in journalism and the media: the case for new media.”
The conference director, Chris Kabwato says the aim this year was to “brings us home to the core values of our profession and to engage on the values and practices of journalism.”
2007 is an important year for the Dark Continent as it marks the 50th anniversary of its first independent state, Ghana. The Highway Africa conference therefore, reminded the continent that her destiny is in her own hand and there is much work yet to be done.
“The conference’s deliberations are part of the challenge of re-structuring a future Africa of hope and promise that is characterized by economics and social development and a culture of humane rights,” says Dr Saleem Badat.
The Rhodes University Vice Chancellor believes this annual event is an opportune moment for the media to reassess its mandate besides its role to inform, educate and entertain. Amongst other things, he believes the institution should self-assess its quality and standards, by maintaining its “intellectual independence and dispassionate objectivity and contributes to the formation of an informed and critical citizenry.”
“African media and journalists have especial responsibilities and a profound role to play in holding a mirror to us about the real conditions of our societies and in fostering debate on the trajectories of democracy, human rights and development in our societies and on our continent,” he added.
The rendezvous for the 12th Highway Africa conference has been set for September 2008, whilst it is hope that the continent’s journalists continue to interrogate the issues of quality and professionalism in journalism in the media in the specific conditions and context of Africa.
1 comment:
José,
I've read about Highway Africa online. I admire the work the organisation is doing. I believe the Seychellois media community could benefit enormously at such events, through ongoing participation.
Keep up the good work.
Allain.
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