African media is surrogate opposition - Prof Tawana Kupe

[Issa Sikiti da Silva] Due to the lack of a strong and united political opposition, the media in Africa, at least those that are critical of government policies, becomes a powerful force called a surrogate opposition, Prof Tawana Kupe, dean of faculty of humanities at Wits University, said this week in Johannesburg. 11 Mar 2011 10:29

Media freedom, self-regulation: the Ghanaian experience

[Issa Sikiti da Silva] Until 1992, journalists and editors in Ghana, and the independent media in general, have suffered a lot at the hands of undemocratic regimes, which cracked down on critical reporting and imposed strict restrictions limiting media freedom. As a new, liberal constitution was being written in 1992, media activists came out guns blazing, demanding that media suffering end and reporting become free. [view twitterfall] 10 Mar 2011 10:06

Applications invited for UN journalism fellowships

[Carole Kimutai] The Dag Hammarskjöld Scholarship Fund for Journalists is now accepting applications from professional journalists from developing countries for its 2011 Fellowship Program. The application deadline is 6 April 2011. 10 Mar 2011 08:19

African media and the self-regulation dilemma

[Issa Sikiti da Silva] As the independent media in Africa is engaged in a fierce battle against repressive and not-so-democratic governments keen to sweep their corrupt wrongdoings under the carpet, the issue of self-regulation has become almost like a daily bread in many parts of the continent. [view twitterfall] 10 Mar 2011 08:07

Right of access to information hampered by govts - media conference

[Issa Sikiti da Silva] The right of access to information is being hampered in many parts of the world, especially in Africa, by government officials wary of journalists' desire to 'embarrass' them, and the state's 'insincere' reason of hiding behind the issue of national security. This emerged today, Wednesday, 9 March 2011, at the Regulations and Rights media conference at Wits University in Johannesburg. [view twitterfall] 9 Mar 2011 13:17

How youth editions are explaining the Middle East revolutions

PARIS, FRANCE / DARMSTADT, GERMANY: The unparalleled recent events in the Middle East have offered newspapers an opportunity to make use of their youth pages and supplements to explain a complex situation. The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) have gathered some examples from around the world. 9 Mar 2011 06:02

Dubai Lynx Festival 2011 dates, new venue

DUBAI, UAE: The Dubai International Advertising Festival in 2011 will take place over two and a half days, 27- 29 March and the Dubai Lynx Awards, honouring North Africa and the Middle East's best work in advertising and creative communications, will be held on 30 March. Both events will take place for the first time at the Arabian coast resort, the Madinat Jumeirah, in Dubai. 12 Nov 2010 06:53

Moroccan authorities impeding Spanish journalists

NEW YORK: The Committee to Protect Journalists has expressed its alarm by an increasing climate of hostility for Spanish journalists in Morocco, highlighted by official measures to prevent Spanish journalists from covering clashes in the Western Sahara. CPJ has called on authorities to allow journalists to do their work unimpeded. 10 Nov 2010 11:54

CPJ urges Morocco to improve press conditions

NEW YORK: The Committee to Protect Journalists reiterated its call to King Mohammed VI to use his constitutional prerogatives to bring Moroccan legislation in line with international standards for freedom of expression. CPJ also urged the monarch to end the use of the judiciary and other government agencies to harass critical journalists. 27 Sep 2010 06:54

CNN enlists top journalism students for iReport initiative

ATLANTA, US: CNN has announced the launch of a new initiative for journalism students, called CNN iReport University, linked to iReport, the network's user-generated news community. 16 Sep 2010 10:35

WAN-IFRA condemns Moroccan newspaper director sentencing

The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editor¹s Forum have condemned a six-month jail sentence handed down to Moroccan journalist and editor, Taoufik Bouachrine, and have called on Moroccan authorities to overturn the sentence. 23 Jun 2010 08:53

WAN-IFRA condemns Moroccan news mag closure

The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) has condemned the closure of the Moroccan news magazine Le Journal Hebdomadaire and the apparent use of the judicial system to silence an independent publication. 12 Feb 2010 09:13

Moroccan paper closed

Press freedom campaigners have criticised the Moroccan government for closing down an independent daily paper in Casablanca after it allegedly disrespected a member of the royal family. Media rights group Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the move, which follows the publication of a cartoon of the wedding of Prince Moulay Ismail, the cousin of King Mohamed VI, on 26 September 2009. 5 Oct 2009 07:05

Moroccan daily ordered to stop publishing

On 19 June 2008, a Rabat court ordered the Moroccan Arabic-language daily Al Jarida Al Oula to stop publishing hitherto unpublished testimony about repression under the late King Hassan II, which senior officials gave to an official truth commission called the Equity and Reconciliation Panel (IER). 23 Jun 2008 15:33