Highway Africa 2010: African Voices in the Global Media Space
Highway Africa is an annual conference hosted by Rhodes University (School of Journalism and Media Studies) and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), with the support of several partners, development agencies, and sponsors. According to the organisers, the media arena has seen unprecedented expansion of global media networks paralleled by the explosion of the internet, centred on the World Wide Web, as a major media platform. African media entrepreneurs and other parties have sought to respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by technology, economics, markets, and other factors. Under the theme, African Voices in the Global Media Space, the 2010 conference will be both a celebration and an interrogation of African journalism and media and how these are opening up and expanding spaces for engagement, using plenary sessions, keynote addresses, training workshops, book launches, networking dinners, and debates.
Key questions to be addressed include the following:
- What is the state of African media in comparison with the media of other regions?
- What broadcasting networks exist and what is their impact?
- What is the state of the African blogosphere? Who speaks? On what?
- What distinctive technologies or applications has Africa developed that contribute to diverse and pluralistic voices being heard?
- What media initiatives exist in the Diaspora and what is their impact?
- What media operates in exile due to political repression and how do they communicate with their audiences?
- What digital policies, strategies, and infrastructure are in place that will be “game-changers” for African media?
- What training programmes should tertiary institutions and media organisations develop to adequately equip the 21st Century media professional?
Click here for more information about the conference.
Registration Information
The conference is open to journalists, academics, bloggers, students, publishers, and other interested media professionals. A limited number of scholarships will be made available for participants who are unable to cover their costs. Conference fees for Highway Africa are ZAR 4,000.
Deadline for registration: June 4 2010.
Click here to register online.
