WIN an Invitation to AfricaCom 2014, Africa’s Leading Telecoms Event

CAPE-TOWN, South-Africa, September 8, 2014/ -- APO will offer transport, accommodation and perdiem for one African journalist to attend the AfricaCom 2014, Africa’s leading telecoms event , held in Cape Town, South Africa, on 11–13 November 2014.

AfricaCom 2014 will bring together individuals and companies to debate on how to embrace innovation in Africa’s telecoms, media and ICT markets.

The deadline for entry is midnight on October 17, 2014.

Winner will be announced on October 23, 2014.

APPLY to win the invitation: http://www.apo-opa.com/application_twitter.php?L=E&vc=WIN

More information about AfricaCom 2014: http://africa.comworldseries.com
 

Fourth African Media Leaders Forum Tunis Declaration 2011

Here is a reprint of the a declaration of intents made by African Media Leaders forum held in Tunis hereinafter dubbed the" Fourth African Media Leaders Forum Tunis Declaration 2011"

 We, the owners of African media organizations met at the Fourth African Media Leaders Forum (AMLF) in Tunis, Tunisia, during November 10-11, 2011, to discuss the state of Africa’s media sector, and work collaboratively to strengthen and develop Africa’s media industries for economic, political, social, and cultural change.

With nearly 350 participants from 48 African countries, the Tunis meeting was a landmark and the largest and only gathering of media owners and operators representing the African continent. Since launching the AMLF in Dakar, Senegal, in 2008, both the AMLF – and its parent body, the African Media Initiative (AMI) – have grown in scope, stature, and expanse of operations, united by the common purpose of creating ethical, sustainable, diverse and pluralistic African media.

Aware that the African continent is at the cusp of a promising economic transformation, and as demonstrated by the Arab Spring that was born in Tunis, media have a profound role to play in social transformation, giving voice to people, and promoting freedom. Taken together, these developments hold out the promise of greater participation by citizens and increased pluralism.

Cognizant of the need for us to work together to strengthen the media sector as a partner in development and viable platform for investment, we therefore commit ourselves to becoming a more integral part of Africa’s development success story by expanding coverage of development topics, placing people at the center of our reporting, and focusing our effort toward changing Africa’s stereotypical narrative of death, disease, disaster and despair into one of hope, innovation, insights and interests, as well as opportunity. As media leaders, our commitment is to the overarching goal of improving access to good information and positive development of the continent.

Responded to these challenges by focusing our discussions in Tunis on key issues impacting Africa’s media sector, namely:
 

•Role and Relevance of Traditional Media. African media leaders see the rise of social media as an opportunity for traditional media to enable citizens to bring about social change. The media sector in Africa needs to continue its focus on improving the quality of content and timeliness of reporting by harnessing the strengths of new media technologies.

• Challenge of Building a Coalition for Media Development in Africa. We recognize our role as purveyors of news, ideas, and innovation, and believe that the cause of the public good is better served by telling the untold success stories of development in Africa. The role of media in nurturing debate is central to the process of sustainable development itself and for improving the lives of ordinary Africans.

• Strengthening Role of Media in Consolidating Democracy and Good Governance in Africa. We believe the media sector can play a hugely supportive role in the expansion of democracy through an informed citizenry, and support processes of good governance through exercising the traditional watchdog function. Deficits in democracy and governance are inimical to the growth of Africa’s media sector.

• Expanding Financing Sources for Africa’s Media Sector. Africa’s media sector has been hampered by lack of capital, and adequate financing is critical for advancement. We need to deepen discussions with a broad range of stakeholders – development partners who want to see development returns, financial institutions such as banks and venture capitalists, and mobile operators who want to see financial returns – so that the media sector can begin to attract newer sources and develop innovative models of financing that are critical for it success.
Our meeting in Tunis was successful on several fronts. Following on earlier workshops held in Cameroon, we looked at revenue and business models for media, discussed digital transitions including advertising and strategies for the near to mid-term future, debated improvements in newsroom management, convergence, streamlining, and other issues relating to media development. These discussions helped us to define the next steps for strengthening Africa’s media sector, improving the professional skills of journalists through enhanced training opportunities, and the need for AMI and AMLF to work collaboratively with governments and civil society for expanding access to information. We therefore:

Commend the progress that AMI and AMLF have made in the past four years, and thank the AMI Board for the leadership and guidance it has provided for strengthening Africa’s media sector;
Appreciate the AMI’s pioneering effort to develop the “Leadership and Guiding Principles for African Media Owners and Managers,” and see this as a central pillar of the overall push toward improving the viability and sustainability of Africa’s media industries;
Endorse the creation of national associations of media owners and operators in all African countries so that there is greater engagement and interaction at the national, regional and continental levels. The establishment of AMI’s Office in Kenya is a welcome development, and we look forward to finalization of the AMI’s host country agreement with the Government of Kenya;
Welcome the support received from the African Development Bank and look forward to greater engagement with other multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, International Finance Corporation, the African Capacity Building Foundation, international donors and civil society. We acknowledge and thank the Konrad Adenauer Foundation for its support to AMI, and thank all our donors and partners for their continuing collaboration and assistance. We urge that a technical meeting to discuss innovative financing be held before the 2012 Forum.
Entrust the AMI Secretariat to review the various offers received for hosting AMLF 2012 and inform the membership accordingly.

Issued on November 11, 2011, after the Tunis Forum.

KTN'S John Allan Namu Bags CNN Awards

The eloquent Kenyan " KTN's " tv news anchor "John Allan Namu" bagged the covetous CNN African Journalist of the Year Award for 2009 in Durban South Africa on Saturday night at the awards ceremony.

And i must say deservedly so for his piece on Mungiki dubbed"In the Shadows of Mungiki". Without doubt that was a risky assignment but he covered it with wit and confidence. Kudos John !Indeed his efforts are an inspiration to many upcoming young journalist.Here at Nairobians perspective we continue to recognize home grown talent Congratulations John Alan Namu for your mean fete and thats a nice photo.



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Will Jada Pinkett Smith Play the Role Of Michelle Obama?

A Barrack Obama Movie -the question is not will it happen- but when? And who will play the role of Michelle Obama.Well people have already started talking but the question is can the phenomenal woman Jada Pinkett Smith play the role ? She says she cant because of the height issue but at least as you can see from the photo she fits the style, fashion, elegance and bill! She also must remember such a movie would be a grand privilege that would go straight into the reputable annals of history!

Holding on to that thought; Kenya's Finance Minister Hon.Uhuru Kenyatta's recent Budget speech 2009/2010 announced some tax free incentives for the movie industry, film makers both local and international.It seems to suggest that he is seeing these developments and packaging Kenya well in advance to attract such a shoot in Barrack's father home yard-Kogelo! Son of Kenyatta is a think tank, dont under estimate!

Heatwave Celebrity Cruise

Kerchoonz Website for Free Legal Music Download !

The Kerchoonz website is now live!The site is an initiative by musicians to make listening to online music or watching videos a fun experience while earning musicians royalties.The site also aims at availing music free to the site guests! Yes, free legal music is now available online !

The site concept was conceived and founded by Indiana Greg and Ian Morrow back in 2006 with the aim of developing a social network platform that would allow the unlimited free flow and exchange of information, art, music, entertainment etc. That dream recently came into fruition when the site was launched !



Kerchoonz pays the particular artist each time a user listens or downloads music ! It is indeed set to be the hottest music download site in the Internet and the next great thing after Facebook. I have just signed up and it was so easy! The site does not require you to engage in a process of verifying email...etc but has a simple sign up process!

The philosophy behind the site is particularly amazing and i would encourage you to sign up instead of illegally downloading music and ending up with computer viruses from illegitimate sites and/ or depriving musicians of their royalties! That's a risk that no one needs to take from now henceforth, and this i state notwithstanding these being a sponsored post ! Kenyan artists specifically may want to join up this platform if they want to get paid for their music online.And the join up process is so simple.

What i am eager and about to learn is how to use their ingenious widget called a Kwigget. A kwigget is a customizable user mini profile widget that displays the users music, videos, blogs and links to online shops where the particular music is sold!

Interestingly one can paste the transferable code to one's own site to enable their fans and friends update on their latest content! The kwiggets come in various sizes and forms! The service is going to be great in that it allows you to display your other social network profiles from within your homepage, so you can have facebook, myspace Youtube... etc right on your kerchoonz profile.Which basically means the site is not duplicating these sites but adding value to your online experience and that is cool.

So how will they make money....through sponsored advertising ! The site seems to be constantly updated which means it will be such a cool and refreshing site. I have actually joined up and you should too.So make sure you check out the site-pronto!

Etalon d’Or de Yennenga( FESPACO FESTIVAL)-Africa's Biggest Film Festival

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso:The bi-annual Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) is hailed as Africa's Biggest Film Festival and has been dubbed as Africa's "Oscars"and for good reason because at this festival Africa's best Film Productions are celebrated and the best production gets to win the prestigious and coveted Golden Stallion of Yennenga in French 'Etalon d’Or de Yennenga' award!Unfortunate;ly this film festival despite its vast recognition in the west is little known in the East African region.


The film festival showcases the best films from Nigeria ,Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia ,Niger, Cameroon Etc.The festival this year took place between the 28February, 2009 and 7 March, 2009. Winners of the festival can be accesed at the site;I wonder why the festival has not received much media attention in Kenya especially but im eager to find out more with the aim of promoting more local productions to win such awards. And for the organizers please ensure that the site can be read in english that will ensure that the festival attracts more international appeal and relevancy!

The winner of this Years 2009 Golden Stallion of Yennenga was the Ethiopian Film Teza, a feature by award-winning director Haile Gerima.The film is set during Mengistu Haile Mariam's 1974 to 1991 rule, and won the top prize at the FESCAPO festival .The plot develops around a series of horrific experiences endured by hero Anberber, who trains as a medical research scientist in Europe. On his return to Ethiopia full of expectation and eager to contribute to his country, he and his friends are violently and cruelly rejected at home and again back in Germany!

Heres the wikipedia stub:FESCAPO

Media Black Out & Institute for Justice and Morality !

On Wednesday i came across a demonstration on one of the Nairobi streets by a group of people who allegedly belong to a little known Institute of Justice & Morality( i wonder who is funding them)!What was amusing was that they were well equiped with printed banners ,blaring loudspeakers, vehicles (whose numberplates were covered) etc.The procession was in support of the ICT -Media Communications Bill/Act of 2008.Suprisingly though this demo was unplanned and possibly unlicensed and yet our over zealous Police just watched as this group joined by the usual idlers and goons paraded the street.Its true that in Kenya we are legally entitled Freedom of Expression which includes a right to demonstrate but what is ironical is that just the other day members of the media fraternity were bludgeoned by baton wielding and zealous anti riot police even before setting foot out of their offices on a planned demonstration against the media bill!Thelaw is always selectively applied resulting in pent up anger amongst the populace.Its time we realized as a Natiion that prevention is better than cure.

A number of Journalists and activists including Walter Mongare a.k.a Nyambane, Caroline Mutoko, Larry Asego ,Jalang`o, Mwalimu Mati and his wife were on Jamhuri day arrested for donning black t-shirts condemning the Government on the Media Bill and MP's on payment of taxes.In this instance a protest for the media by a bunch of goons attracts no such attention!As long as we have a Police force that is partisan and over zealous in carrying out illegal' orders from above' Africa will never experience any meaningful development. Its time when respect for law and order was observed by all and sundry.

In the evening i was pleasantly suprised that actually no media house covered this protest! Infact for the most part of last week the media blacked out all Government functions and activities in protest against the media Act prompting the President to Direct the Minister for Information and the Attorney General to reconsider the contentious clauses in the recent communications law !Just goes to show you cant beat the media they have a strong cane that they can wield against their perceived enemies in this case they painted one political party to be the protector of the Rights of ordinary mwananchi whereas in truth this party aided and abbetted the passing of this draconian legislation.The truth is Kenyans are not so easy to hoodwink and as for the media watch your content and exercise self restraint in tandem with our societal norms (pornography, obscene jesting, lewd music,skimpy dressing,erotica is least tasteful and mind you is strictly regulated against in many countries e.g Saudi Arabia,Qatar etc) lest we the public support these strict regulations!