If you rely on the Western-dominated global media for your picture of Africa, you will receive a very distorted view. We all have our own experiences of stereotypical images, sweeping generalisations and the “famine and war” agenda that characterise so much of the reporting of Africa to the world.
However, the last decade has seen a revolution in the news media. Newspapers, TV networks and news agencies, once impregnable, now face competition from bloggers, SMS traffic, tweeters and citizen journalists. Local is the new global. This all provides a golden opportunity for Africa to tell its own story to the world. We can bypass the bias of news editors in New York or London, break the stranglehold of the aid industry in shaping how Africa is reported, and counteract lazy “daytrip” journalism.
New Media – New Image? is a practical workshop for journalists, bloggers and anyone with a story to tell about Africa. Taking place on May 29th in Windhoek, Namibia, this workshop will explore how the new media and technology can help to redress the balance in reporting and creating narratives of the new Africa.
The workshop will feature successful bloggers and social media experts who will share their stories and advice on how to create and market engaging content. We will explore how to target audiences at all levels, from hyper-local to global, and we will examine the latest technologies and platforms that can help you to drive traffic and get noticed.
Taking place as part of eLearning Africa, the largest gathering of eLearning and ICT supported education and training professionals in Africa, the workshop will be chaired by Adam Salkeld who has worked in the international news media in the UK and Africa. Adam will “confess” to the seven deadly sins of the foreign journalist, giving an insider’s view of the problems in the international reporting of Africa.
Our panel will comprises of some real success stories in African new media:
- Michelle Atagana is managing editor of the highly successful tech insight blog Memeburn in South Africa. A champion of African start-ups, Michelle will share her expertise in getting them noticed.
- Mac-Jordan Degadjor is a Ghanaian blogger and social entrepreneur. A self confessed travel geek, he acts as an international speaker and evangelist on technology, freedom of speech, African ingenuity and a range of related topics. He is the regional editor of the Bertelsmann Foundation’s Future Challenges.
- Beate Wedekind lives in Berlin and Addis Ababa and is the founder and CEO of The New Africa, a new media platform that brings together young African professionals, entrepreneurs and start-ups, and helps to put them on the international agenda. She is passionate about breaking down misconceptions about Africa and sharing success stories.
The workshop will present plenty of opportunities for discussion with the panel. There is no charge, but places in this workshop are limited. To apply to participate in this workshop, please contact press-service@icwe.net with your name, organisation and contact details. If approved, you will receive written confirmation from our press team. For more information about the workshop, please see http://www.elearning-africa.com/workshops/2013/workshop_a6.php. For more information about eLearning Africa 2013, which takes place from 29th – 31st May in Windhoek, Namibia, please see http://www.elearning-africa.com.
