Shaping Development Conversations in Africa

The Role of Media in the Digital Environment

PROGRAMME

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Supporters

PRE FORUM WORKSHOPS

November 9-10, 2015

Workshop 1

Innovative business models for small and medium-sized media outlets

New technologies are changing the profiles and habits of media users, transforming the industry at high
speed. More than ever media leaders need entrepreneurial skills and an agile mindset to sustain the
success of their enterprises. Creating quality content requires innovative strategies to secure market
shares and resources. Small media outlets, especially, are in demand for such business ideas.
DW Akademie will offer a workshop for media leaders on innovative business models for small and
medium sized enterprises. The aim is to create an opportunity for an exchange of best practice
examples from different African countries. Media all over the world are struggling with the challenges
of an uncertain future.
Workshop size: 15 participants
Lead Partner - DW Akademie

Workshop 2

Resilience reporting: Bridging the knowledge gap

Resilience is the capacity of individuals, communities, organizations and systems to survive, adapt, and
grow in the face of shocks and stresses, and even to transform themselves when conditions require it.
Resilience is an economic development lever that must be observed so that societies can make the
most out of any unexpected situation, and plan better for the predictable ones. It is important for the
media to comprehend what resilience entails and how to communicate it in a simple, straightforward
and compelling manner to the public.
Workshop size: 30 participants
Lead Partner: The Rockefeller Foundation

Workshop 3

Following the story: Developing financial and business skills

Developing the financial and business skills of journalists is key to ensuring that the media covers the
big stories, questions the often murky and complex business environment and offers its audience a
balanced and professional account of the corporate world. This workshops key objective is to provide
some of the basic skills necessary for business and financial reporting.
Workshop size: 20 participants
Lead Partner: The Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa

DAY 1 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11

08h00 - 10h00

Delegate Registration

10h00 12h00
Wits University

Public Symposium at Witwatersrand University

Overcoming hate speech in the media
Often media can be tempted to choose sensationalism, easy stereotyping and derogatory language
when writing about or reporting on events, individuals or groups of people. When this happens the
impact of hate speech is amplified and the likelihood for conflict, religious intolerance and unchecked
bigotry runs high. This panel will reflect on the role and responsibility of the media to protect citizens,
report fairly and, when necessary, to provide a moral compass for society.
Keynote Speaker: Cemalettin Hasimi (Director General of Press and Information, Director General of
the Office of Public Diplomacy and Advisor to the Prime Minister, Republic of Turkey)
Moderator: Jay Naidoo (Chairman, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition - GAIN)
Panelists:

H.E Amb. Hailu Mussie (Regional Director, United Religions Initiative)

Aidan White (ED, Ethical Journalism Network)
Yoletta Nyange (Journalist, Filmmaker and Scholar)
Ayesha Kajee (Human Rights Activist, Media Commentator, and former ED of the Freedom of
Expression Institute)

Jasmine Opperman (Director Africa, The Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium)
14h00 17h00

Innovation Media Day at the MTN Innovation Centre, Johannesburg

Hosted by the MTN Group
*Open to pre-registered delegates only

15h00 17h00

Access to Information: Africas media and the UNs new development goals
The UNs new Sustainable Development Goals include an unprecedented pledge by all countries to
ensure public access to information. Will that promise be kept? How will progress be measured?
What are the implications of this new global commitment for independent media and the free flow of
information in African society?
Workshop facilitator: Jeanette Minnie, GFMD Steering Committee - Africa Region
Welcome and Opening address: Eric Chinje, CEO of AMI and Caroline Giraud, Coordinator of the
GFMD
Panellists:
Bill Orme (GFMDs Representative at the UN)
Fred Mmembe (Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of The Post newspaper, Zambia)
Right to Know (R2K) Campaign South Africa
Workshop size: 50 participants
Lead Partner: Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD)
*Open to pre-registered delegates only

19h00 21h00

Opening Cocktail, Serengeti Ballroom, Birchwood Hotel

Welcome address: Trevor Ncube (Board Chairman, AMI)
Esmare Weideman (CEO, Media24)
Christian Echle (Director Media Programme Sub Saharan Africa, Konrad Adenauer
Stiftung - KAS)
Eric Chinje (CEO, AMI)
Cocktail hosted by Media24 - The Official AMLF 2015 Media Host

DAY 2 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12

O.R Tambo Plenary Hall, Master of Ceremony - John Sibi-Okumu
Opening Ceremony
09h15 10h00

Opening Remarks
Mathatha Tsedu (Chair, AMLF 2015 National Organising Committee)
Eric Chinje (CEO, AMI)
Trevor Ncube (Board Chairman, AMI)
Address:
Bineta Diop (Founder and President, Femmes Africa Solidarit / Special Envoy on Women,
Peace and Security of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission)
Mamadou Biteye (Managing Director, Africa Regional Office, Rockefeller Foundation)
Emmanuel Hoog (CEO, Agence France Presse)
Dr. Carlos Lopes (Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa)
H.E. Dr. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, President, Republic of Mauritius
Formal opening of the AMLF 2015 by H.E. Jacob Zuma, President of the Republic of South Africa

Plenary Session 1
10h00 - 11h30

Media and development: Shaping conversations in Africa

Media constitute the most powerful known instrument for achieving harmonious and sustainable social
transformation. African society is at a historic turning point, with its citizens caught between rapidly
growing economies, morphing political landscapes and technological innovations that are impacting
all pillars of tradition and culture. Current social conversations across the continent, mostly carried on
media platforms, are generally lacking in depth and are uninformed. Do media professionals in Africa
have a role or a duty to enhance the quality of these conversations? Should the role of media in western
and eastern societies be exactly the same in an emerging Africa? Is the role of the journalist in this new
Africa a passive or an active one, and what exactly would that role be? This panel will examine current
trends and provide some useful insights into that subject.
Keynote: Dr. Carlos Lopes (Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa)
Moderator: Mamadou Biteye (Managing Director, Africa Regional Office, Rockefeller Foundation)
Panelists:
Joel Kibazo (Head of Communications and External Relations, African Development Bank AfDB)
Dr. Iqbal Surve (Founder, Sekunjalo Investment Group)
Tarek Atia (CEO and Founder, Egypt Media Development Programme)
Jane Murago-Munene (Executive Director, Pan African Federation of Film Makers)
Thebe Ikalafeng (Founder and Chairman, Brand Leadership Academy)

Tea Break
11h30 12h00

Networking, visit to exhibition stands and AMI Open House

Plenary Session 2
12h00 13h30

Africas moment: The emergence of a new digital culture

Africa is on the cusp of a digital revolution that can change the lives of millions of its citizens.
Unfortunately, digital technology is often misunderstood, believed to be elitist or too expensive. This
panel will attempt to demystify such notions by offering hard-based evidence on how technology can
accelerate Africas development and transform the lives of ordinary people.
Keynote: Sid Wahi (Head of Digital Business, Vice President, CNBC Africa)
Moderator: Robert Kabushenga (CEO, New Vision Group)
Panelists:

Bola Atta (Director Marketing and Communications, United Bank of Africa)

Anya Schiffrin (Associate Professor, Columbia University)
Ndimyake Mwakalyelye (Voice of America)
Rosemary Okello-Orlale (Programme Officer, Ford Foundation)
Matt Winkler (Co-Founder, Bloomberg News)

13h30 14h30

Lunch Break

Plenary Session 3
14h30 16h00

Audience data The missing link to sustainable media investments

Economies across the continent are amongst the fastest growing in the world. Investors are poised, but
cautious. Why? Quite simply it is the lack of information and data to support investment decisions and
to demonstrate their success that is holding them back. Shareholders require evidence in the form of
robust and verifiable data. The lack of data is severely hampering investment in all sectors across the
continent. This is particularly true for the information, communication and media sectors where the
convergence of platforms is offering new opportunities for media products.
This panel will address this issue and illustrate the urgent need for audience/consumer data and how
the lack of it impacts on media investments, content development, ethics and, hence, sustainability.
Keynote: Jules Domche (CEO, Vox Africa)
Moderator: George Waititu (Director, Africa Centre for Development Research)
Panelists:

Tea Break
16h00 16h30

Laura Schneider (Project Manager; Research and Development, DW Akademie)

Rachid Dahbi (Managing Director, Averty and Curator Casablanca Hub Global Shapers)
Matt Angus-Hammond (Business Development Lead Sub-Saharan Africa, GEOPoll)
Michael Didama (Managing Editor, Le Temps)
Abdul-Rahman Harrunah Attah (Ghana Ambassador to Namibia and Chairman, Accra Daily
Mail)

Networking, visit to exhibition stands and AMI Open House

Plenary Session 4
16h30 18h00

New players: New opportunities or threats?

Africa is the playground to a host of new players. These new foreign entrants see the potential to serve
a population of nearly a billion people with a myriad of information technology and communication
services. Who are these new players? What are their intentions? How are they altering the information/
communication landscape? Are they enhancing the media consumer experience?
Keynote: Chris Maroleng (Group Executive for Corporate Affairs, MTN)
Moderator: Andrew Trench (Head of News, Media24)
Panelists:

Gala Dinner
19h30 23h00
Serengeti Hall

Phil Molefe (Senior Level Executive, African Broadcasting Industry)

Pang Xinhua (Acting Head, Africa, CCTV)
Jacqui OSullivan (Managing Executive : Group Communication & PR, Telkom South Africa)
Glen Mpani (Democracy and Governance Programme Manager, OSISA)
Basma Elmahdy (Media Trainer and Journalist, Al-Manassa)

Zimeo Gala Awards Dinner

Key Speaker: Nomsa Daniels (CEO, Graca Machel Trust)

Day 3 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13

O.R Tambo Plenary Hall
09h00 09h10

Recap of Day 2 Deliberations Short Video Presentation

Plenary Session 1
09h15 10h30

Distribution and circulation: Bridging the paper and digital divide

The newspaper industry is undergoing important changes. Traditionally, a sizeable section of it has
been burdened with heavy production costs, challenging distribution systems and unreliable data
on circulation. Is this still the case? Does digital technology offer any measurable relief from these
challenges? Who are the innovators in the sector? What lessons can be learnt? How can the paperdigital divide be bridged?
These are just some of the questions that the panel will reflect on.
Keynote: Esmare Weideman (CEO, Media24)
Moderator: Thierry Hot (Director, Notre Afrik)
Panelists:

10h30 10h45

Tea Break

Marie-Roger Biloa (Chair & CEO, Africa International Media Group)

Ralf Ressermann (Business Development and Research, WAN-IFRA)
Mannir Dan-Ali (Editor in Chief, Daily Trust)
Joe Muganda (CEO, Nation Media Group)

Plenary Session 2
10h45 11h30

Best practices made in Africa: Innovative business models for small and medium-sized media
outlets
New technologies are changing the profiles and habits of media users and rapidly transforming the
industry. As media managers around the world search for THE elusive recipe for economic success and
sustainability, some of the chefs of Africas media menu, who will just have sampled a rich course served
with innovative ideas, will be sharing their ingredients with other entrepreneurs. In this session they will
present the results of their pre-forum workshop hosted by DW Akademie.
Moderator: Daniel Blanks (DW Akademie)

Plenary Session 3
11h30 12h30

Making technology work for people: Showcasing successful examples

This session will be dedicated to a hands-on approach to how technology can make a difference in
peoples lives. A panel of innovators and techno-entrepreneurs will share stories about their work and
achievements.
Keynote: Richard Uku (Head of Corporate Communications, Ecobank)
Moderator: Muchiri Nyaggah (Director, Local Development Research Institute - LDRI)
Panelists:

Traci Freeman (Expert, Digital Jobs Africa)

Dorothy Ghettuba (Founder, Spielworks)
Bright Simons (President, mPedigree)
Japheth Omojuwa (Founder, The Alpha Reach)
Dickens Olewe (Founder, African Skycam)

12h30 13h30

Lunch Break

Plenary Session 4
13h30 15h00

Radio and social media convergence: Enhancing the users experience

Radio has always been a ubiquitous feature of our everyday lives: Affordable, portable and highly
personal. However, the radio landscape is changing influenced by the new social, cultural and
technological needs of its users. In fact, it is interesting to note that social media platforms are
competing for this space where the interaction is personalised, spontaneous and immediate. This
panel will address some of the convergence features that bring together the reach of radio and the
power of social media in enhancing the users experience.
Keynote: Salim Amin (Chairman, A24 Media)
Moderator: Mark Kaigwa (Founder, Nendo)
Panelists:

Franz Kruger (Director, Wits Radio Academy)

Samson Itodo (Founder, Amplified Radio.net)
Ellen Nanuses (Secretary General, Southern Africa Broadcasters Association)
Zakaridja Gnienhoun (Directeur Gnral, Ouaga FM)
Nadia Bulbulia (Executive Director, National Association of Broadcasters)

Plenary Session 5
15h00 16h30

Achieving success in the business of news: A conversation among peers

The multiplicity of news outlets in Africa would seem to suggest that the business of news is probably
one of the easiest areas to invest in and make a good return. Certainly, digital technology has spurred
growth in the sector. However, only a handful of operators are reaping benefits in terms of profits. The
panel will discuss business models that generate value both for audiences and investors.
Moderator: Omar Ben Yedder (Group Publisher and Managing Director, IC Publications)
Reflections of a former media CEO, Linus Gitahi (Former Chief Executive Officer, Nation
Media Group)
Panelists:

Closing Ceremony
16h30 17h15

Denise Barnes (Chairperson, US National Newspaper Publishers Association)

Ramanou Kouferidji (Chief Executive Officer, Imanle Television)
Trevor Ncube (Deputy Executive Chairman, Mail & Guardian Media Ltd)
Freddie Mulumba Kabuayi (Vice President, Le Potentiel)
Marie-Claire Nnana (Director General, Sopecam Publisher)

AMLF 2015 Resolutions

Video clip to announce the next Forum
Vote of thanks and official closing of AMLF 2015