Youth Speak Up on Philippine Elections

taherinima on 27. May 2022

By: IAWRT Philippines  

An online event before the presidential elections in the Philippines 9 May showcased the youth’s views about the elections and their criteria for selection of candidates.  

Speakers, moderators and Zoom staff. (Photo: IAWRT Philippines).

International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) Philippines gathered student leaders and communications students from various schools in the country with support from JMIC 28 March.    

The two-hour online event “Media, Youth, and the Elections – May Alam at May Pakialam:”  

was carried via Zoom and Facebook live. Excluding the speakers and moderators, a total of 203 inviduals was in the Zoom meeting room.  Meanwhile, the Facebook livestream on IAWRT’s page was cross-posted by Kodao Productions on their page and garnered 742 views since its publication.  

The event drew the participation of women speakers  from five schools, namely: Athina Bayles of Wesleyan University, Chantelle Palloran  of Miriam College, Marvilyn Medrano of  Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Micah-Gel Cadenas Kadano of Cagayan State University, and Daylight Abas of Cavite State University.   

Moderator Janess Ann Ellao with a sign language interpreter. (Photo: IAWRT Philippines).

Moderators were IAWRT officers Janess Ann Ellao, a journalist and teacher, and Sonia Capio, also a teacher. producer and radio host. A youth reactor, Sophia Dianne Garcia, also a Filipina and fellow at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, USA, shared her own insights after the discussion.     

Lynda Garcia, head of IAWRT Philippines, and Project leader Oona Solberg of the Journalism & Media International Center (JMIC) at OsloMet delivered welcome remarks during the program.  

United Nations showing images from Afghanistan  

taherinima on 20. May 2022

The Permanent Mission of Norway to the United Nations in New York opened an exhibition with photographs from Afghanistan 3 May, the World Press Freedom Day. 

Norway pays tribute to brave journalists, photographers and media workers in Afghanistan and across the world, according to @NorwayUN on Twitter.

Norway’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York Mona Juul opened the exhibition, which was attended by media, diplomats and UN colleagues. 

Ambassador Mona Juul (Photo: Jakob Bjørnøy) 
The exhibition was seen by media, diplomats and UN colleagues (Photo: Jakob Bjørnøy)

Fore more information: 

https://www.norway.no/en/missions/UN/news/photo-exhibition-by-afghan-photographers/

UGANDA GOVERNMENT COMMITS TO PROMOTING PRESS FREEDOM 

taherinima on 16. May 2022

Uganda’s Minister of Information, Communication Technology (ICT) Dr. Chris Baryomunsi has pledged government’s commitment to promote media freedom in Uganda.  

By: Gerald Walulya 

While speaking at the commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day on May 5, 2022 in Kampala, Uganda, Baryomunsi said that the government has allowed “reasonable press freedom in Uganda.” 

“The position of government is that the media should be free. I have spoken in audiences of security and police officers and I have insisted that media practitioners should be given freedom and space to practice their profession,” Baryomunsi said before further pledging that: “As long as I am the minister in charge of information I will insist that the police and security have no right whatsoever to harass journalists as they do their work because media practice and journalism is a service like any other.” 

The Minister of Information Communication Technology, Dr. Chris Baryomunsi (center) handing over an award to Dr. Patricia Litho (second from left), the Board Chairperson of Uganda Media Women’s Association (Photo: Christopher Zziwa).

His comments came in the wake of increased attacks on journalists by the police and army that have left several journalists injured and their equipment destroyed. A press freedom index released recently by a local NGO, Human Rights Network for Journalists – Uganda shows that the Police and the army are the leading perpetuators of press freedom violations in Uganda. 

The recent attacks on journalists have seen Uganda’s 2022 ranking in the World Press Freedom index drop to 132 from 125 in the previous year.  

Baryomunsi acknowledged that media practitioners and journalists need to be supported and protected because they perform an important role in society. 

“We need to work together and we need to support journalists, to protect them but also most importantly to respect and appreciate that they are also doing their work,” he said. 

The keynote speaker, Robert Kabushenga advised journalists to change their mindset as well as retooling and reskilling themselves to fit in the new digital world. 

Mr. Robert Kabushenga, the former Managing Director of the State owned Vision group who was the keynote speaker (Photo: Christopher Zziwa).  

The commemoration of the World Press Freedom Day was supported by the Journalism & Media International Centre of Oslo Metropolitan University.  

To the left: Event Master of ceremonies, Charles Odongtho. To the right: Muhame Giles, the CEO of Chimpreports, an online publication, who was one of the panelists who discussed the topic “Journalists under digital siege.” (Photos: Christopher Zziwa)

Event youtube channel: 

THE RIG ON PRESS FREEDOM IN UGANDA 

taherinima on 6. May 2022

By: Gerald Walulya

The Department of Journalism and Communication, Makerere University in Uganda has hosted a one week session of the Rig Press Freedom project. 

Some of the participants in The Rig on press freedom posing for pictures with some of their lecturers at the former faculty of arts building at Makerere University. (Photo: Sharon Muzaki)

The reporting on press freedom focused on five countries namely; Rwanda, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Germany and Burundi. 

Thirty three final year journalism students participated in the project. They were divided into five groups, with each group focusing on one country. The five groups of students were supported by five local teachers and one support teacher, Dr. Florence Namasinga Selnes from Oslo Metropolitan University.  

Students of journalism at Makerere University attending a lecture about press freedom. The lecture, given by Florence Namasinga Selnes focused on the state of freedom of the press in the world in general and in Uganda in particular. (Photo: Sharon Muzaki)

The main task of the participating students was to write news stories on the media freedom environment in the assigned countries. The project started on Friday 22, April with a lecture to students and staff of Makerere University on Press Freedom that was given by Dr. Namasinga Selnes. 

According to the participants, the project has been very beneficial and full of experiences, making it a better orientation into the journalism practice. 

Some of our students discussing Rig stories. (Photo: Gerald Walulya)

“I have learnt how to report international stories. I have received exposure of how to relate with international sources, “Rehema Namagembe, one of the participants said. “My participation in the Rig has helped me to build confidence in interviewing people on phone and making thorough research on stories outside Uganda,” Daphine Nakabiri, said. Another participant, Gloria Irankunda said: “I got to know that media houses in most African countries operate under hardships in form of threats and physical assault.”  

The Head of Department of Journalism and Communication, Dr. Aisha Nakiwala spoke of the students experience with the Rig as enriching in terms of helping students to appreciate the press freedom environment in other countries.  

The project was sponsored by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Journalism & Media international Centre (JMIC) of Oslo Metropolitan University. This is the second time the Department of Journalism and Communication, Makerere University has hosted this project. The first Rig project was conducted in 2018. 

MY CLIMATE CHANGE STORY: The democratization of climate news

taherinima on 3. May 2022

“What does two degrees Celsius actually mean to people? Information and debate are dominated by national governments, large enterprises, scientists, and academia. Our community’s experience has been ignored; and left out of the search for solutions.”

My Climate Change Story is a project initiated by the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) to collect climate change vignettes from the people experiencing climate change first-hand and working together to protect the environment to make a difference. Submissions will be uploaded to My Climate Change YouTube Channel to begin a global discussion. 

On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, May 3, 2022, a virtual event to discuss the democratization of climate information is organized with support from JMIC. In the first part of the webinar, two small videos will be presented. It will be followed by a panel of experts who will speak to the UNESCO theme and climate journalists.  

Sasha Chavkin, of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and the Columbia Journalism Review, has reported “Many of the countries that have seen the most violence against environmental defenders in recent years also rank near the bottom of the World Press Freedom Index.” Journalists must feel confident and safe to report their stories for the greater public good.” 

Speakers include:

Staying safe at the digital workplace

taherinima on 2. May 2022

A four-day training workshop on digital security in hostile environments with strong media systems was completed on April 22, 2022. The workshop took place as part of a continuous collaboration between Forman Christian College University (FCCU) in Lahore in Pakistan and JMIC/OsloMet. 

By Dr. Altaf Ullah Khan

Group photo on the completion of 4-day journalists’ safety workshop (Photo: Media center FCCU).

The theme of the training is relevant globally. In a country like Pakistan it becomes even more important. Journalism is a dangerous profession in the country and digital safety is of paramount importance amid polarization in both society and media. Keyboard warriors and clickbait culture has put journalists in an extremely vulnerable position. Knowing the basics of digital safety is an important resource for good journalism. 

We are thankful to OsloMet for the financial and expert support in organizing this important training. The trainer Ms. Abeer Saady did a wonderful job by bringing home the skills to the participants.  

Dr Abeer Saady talks about digital security measures (Photo: Media center FCCU).

Our heartiest gratitude to the participants, a group representative of media professionals, academia, and students from different cities of Pakistan. The interactive and proactive nature of the workshop was the key to its success.  

The daily roundup for each day was produced to accommodate as much views as possible on different themes from participants. It was also an effort to recognize the contribution of all who participated in the workshop by giving them a visual representation. 

The final video of the workshop gives an overview of the whole activity as well as contains testimonials.  

We are also thankful to the rector and vice rector of FCCU for their support and active presence.  

Last but not least my special thanks to student volunteers of FCCU who tirelessly worked to support the workshop as well as played a key role in producing the deliverables. 

In the end I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the organization and completion of the international activity in the month of Ramadan. 

Dr Abeer Saady and Dr Altaf Ullah Khan pose for a picture outside Lahore Press Club (LPC)

We look forward to more international partnerships in the very near future. This collaboration is also a testimony to the fact that international collaboration to solve the shared problems of humanity is possible. We only need the will to act, the commitment to work hard, and the trust to build a better world. 

More information:  

Training Workshop held on Journalists’ Safety During Conflicts

Video report on workshop on Digital Security in Hostile Environments with Strong Media Systems (Media center FCCU): https://youtu.be/zqdK4brhHdk