African news platform launches mobile journalists

Analysis of ITU (International Telecommunication Union, 2007) shows that, in Africa, digital opportunity is undoubtedly mobile. Mobile phones now outnumber fixed lines by five to one, a ratio that is even higher in sub-Saharan Africa, where nine out of 10 subscribers use a mobile. As a region, Africa's mobile market has been the fastest-growing market in the world, averaging 50% growth per year since 2000.

By inviting citizen journalists to report almost instantly with their mobile phones on www.africanews.com, AfricaNews intends to provide a sound often unheard and offer a different perspective to the continent in comparison to traditional media. Citizen journalism is the act of individuals playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and publishing news.

This pilot is an initiative of the Africa Interactive Media Foundation, which aims to support talented African citizens working in, or aspiring to work in, the media industry.

The technology partner of the mobile reporters' project is SKOEPS. This Dutch company is known for allegedly creating the world's first national news site (www.skoeps.com) that consists entirely of eyewitness images – people capture news events with their phones and send the pictures and videos directly to the website.