On 7th November 2017, at Kigali Serena Hotel, Rwanda Governance Board and partners will organize the 9th National Media Dialogue. This year’s media dialogue will coincide with celebrations of Africa Day of Information and the Annual Development Journalism Awards.
The National Media Dialogue is an annual event organized to discuss opportunities and challenges facing media in Rwanda in order to undertake strategic measures to address them.
Themed “Positioning African Media in the digital era”, this year dialogue will seek to address challenges faced by media not only in Rwanda but also on the African continent.
Since last year, Rwanda has taken the lead in celebrating Africa Day of Information in order to encourage other African countries and journalists to tell the African story in its real context.
In the context of Africa Day of Information, local media experts and invited foreign African delegates will discuss the state of Africa’s media in the digital era, challenges and strategies to overcome them. Key issues discussions will revolve around the main themes including fake news, regulation of online news platforms, media business models, media training and practice for future journalism.
Among renowned speakers expected in the dialogue are; Ms Leslie Racher, Director for Information and Communication in African Union Commission, Mr Constant Nemale, CEO Africa24, Ms Lydia Gachungi, Regional Communication Expert on Safety of Journalists and Media Development, UNESCO Regional Office for Eastern Africa and Mr. Wangethi Mwangi, CEO Africa Media Initiative. Local experts, researchers, investors, media managers and other experienced media practitioners will join them in the discussions.
Development Journalism Awards
On the same day in the evening, there will be the 2017 edition of the Development Journalism Awards with the objective recognizing efforts of journalists in spurring national development. The DJA is annual event organized by RGB, MHC, ARJ and Rwanda Media Self-Regulatory Body in partnership with the UNDP. This year, over 40 awards will be given to outstanding journalists in different categories and best media houses based on pre-determined criteria. In addition, several government institutions have come on aboard and will recognize best journalists whose work has significantly contributed to the achievement of their respective missions. Key partners include MIGEPROF, MINISANTE, NURC and Office of the Ombudsman, RURA, and RCA.
The Express News
