Report back: Free African Media panel discussion

But the overwhelming message is that African journalists have a lot to say - and are eager to explore ways that will allow them say it without fear of repercussions.

The "Freeing African media: democracy and the role of media in Africa" panel discussion, held on Wednesday morning, 2 March 2011,and hosted by Free African Media, and the African Regional Media Hub, provided a platform for journalists from African countries to share their experiences - and offer each other advice. As Free African Media deputy editor and moderator of the panel Phillip de Wet put it: "(We need) to get that conversation going: So we can talk to each other; so we can learn from each other; so we can share our experiences; so we can understand the problems we face in our various countries and how we can overcome them in the interests of democracy."

The main themes of the morning's discussion were the relationship between media and democracy, the role social media played in fomenting revolution North Africa, the difficulties of working in countries where much of the media is state-owned, the issue of self-censorship and the levels of harassment faced by journalists in different countries.

Continue reading the full report on www.freeafricanmedia.com, a Daily Maverick initiative.