Hundreds of media practitioners on Africa’s continent are currently in Accra participating in the 3rd African Media Convention (AMC).
The Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), with support from the Ghana Government, is hosting the mega event, which starts today, May 15th, 2024, and ends on May 17, 2024.
The theme for the convention is “Enhancing Freedom, Innovation, and Environmental Sustainability in a Dynamic Media Landscape.”
Nana Akufo Addo, President of the Republic, will open the convention’s first day at the Labadi Beach Hotel. GJA President Albert Kwabena Dwumfour will give the welcome address.
Other prominent speakers include the Minister Designate for Information, Fatimatu Abubakar; Dr. Rita Bissoonauth, Director of the UNESCO Addis Ababa Liaison Office to the African Union and United Nations Economic Commission for Africa; Ms. Leslie Richer, Director of Information and Communication, African Union Commission; and James Deane, co-founder of the International Fund for Public Interest Media.
What is the African Media Convention?
The annual African Media is a collaborative effort supported by the African media stakeholders, to reflect on the fundamental role of journalism on the continent, celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom and deliberate on measures to safeguard media freedoms and promote access to information, the safety of journalists and media viability in AU Member States.
The AMC was conceived in 2021 by the East African Editors Forum, UNESCO Liaison Office to AU and UNECA and UNESCO National Office in Da-es salaam. It emerged out of a growing need to engage with all the African media stakeholders in addressing the unique challenges and opportunities facing media in the digital age.
Recognizing the critical role of a free and vibrant press on the continent, the inaugural AMC was convened in 2022 in Arusha, Tanzania, bringing together media stakeholders from across Africa and the African Union Commission
AMC has emerged as a pivotal forum for advancing media freedom, innovation, and sustainability across the African continent.
Stemming from the esteemed World Press Freedom Day, observed annually on May 3rd, the convention serves as a nexus for journalists, editors, policymakers, academics, civil society and media development partners to convene and deliberate on pertinent issues shaping the media landscape in AU Member States.
With a rich history rooted in safeguarding press freedom and journalistic integrity, the AMC has evolved into a beacon of collaboration and capacity-building, rotating across African countries to address evolving challenges and opportunities in the digital era.
