KIGALI, Rwanda, December 5, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Top editors and media experts from across Africa met at the recently held, 4th Annual National Dialogue on Media Development and the 5th bi-annual conference of the African Editors Forum held in Kigali Rwanda on the 27th and 28th November 2012.
The Chief-Guest, the Hon. Minister of Local Government, Rwanda James Musoni inaugurated the event and welcomed the delegates including media practitioners, editors and media house owners participating from over 30 African countries.
The conference highlighted several internal and external issues and challenges faced by the African media. James Musoni said , “We need African media to transform and tell our own story from our own perspective to the world audience.”
Releasing the Kigali Declaration to the Media at the event, Media High Council’s Executive Secretary Emmanuel Mugisha said, “The Conference has greatly succeeded in attaining its objective of reiterating the African media’s commitment to contributing to democratic development and good governance.”
Satya Swaroop, Managing Editor of New Media, who participated in the conference as a lead consultant in the project of ‘Building Media Capacity for Rwanda for the next five years’, said, “Today, the African editors are well aware of the need to present their own stories aggressively and truly to project the vibrant image of their continent.”
In the view of creating an innovative, futuristic and a communicative picture of Africa, an independent broad-based pan-African news network – ‘United News of Africa’ will be launched shortly.
Participants to the conference included representatives from more than 30 African countries, the African Union, the UK and various concerned agencies, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), one of the prime supporters of the event.
Highlighting the conference theme, “Media Investment as a Contribution to Democratic Development”, and relevant issues, including good governance, the conference brought out the Kigali Declaration, containing far-reaching recommendation and strategies to strengthen Africa to global audiences by wider coverage and in-depth reporting.
Mugisha added, “The participants have also responded very positively to commercial imperatives that are central to the sustainability of the media sector.”
The conference also called for establishing more feasible, self-regulatory framework and sustainable mechanisms to promote the financial viability and long-term investments in the media sector in Africa.
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