"The Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAF) is in the process of restructuring its media support programmes in sub-Saharan Africa. In November 2000, Frank Priess (KAF, Buenos Aires) and I presented the concept for a revised media support strategy. Based on a critical revision of the political framework an
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d ongoing programmes, this study suggested an integrated regional approach in order to refocus media support work and to transfer its broad basic approach to an advanced concept of specialised training and networking. This study was not commissioned as an academic venture, centred on empiric research and data collection. Its qualitative approach was based on an integrated analysis of the media sector and its political framework in two East African and two Southern African countries. The main source for this analysis - besides visits to media houses, universities and training centres - was a series of roundtables and interviews with almost 100 media professionals, academics, lecturers and politicians in Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa, in July and August 2000, focusing on four main areas: Political framework conditions and the legal status, mission, programme, programme dissemination, staff, infrastructure, finances and economic viability of media houses and institutions; job opportunities for, and working conditions of, media personnel with special emphasis on political, legal, economic and professional difficulties; educational and training background and further training of media professionals; character and performance of professional associations in the media sector." (Editor's note, page 7)
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"The 6th meeting of the African Media Partners Network, which followed on from the meetings held in Paris (1995), Brussels (1996), Bellagio, Copenhagen (1997) and Johannesburg (1998), was organised by the network's technical secretariat in collaboration with the Dutch non-profit association CAF/SCO.
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The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the meeting in Amsterdam, from 6 to 9 Decem-ber 1999. Gertie Hesseling, Director of the Centre for African Studies and representing CAF/SCO, chaired the opening session. Apart from the various presentations of activities by new members and by Dutch partners, the meeting focussed on three main working themes: issues of professional organisation and structure; law and ethics; the use of new information and communication technologies (NICT), training and pro-duction. Work took place in plenary sessions following a programme designed to allow flexibility and debate. The object of the present report is to provide a faithful (but not exhaustive) record of thepresentations and the debates to which the meeting gave rise. The programme and the list of delegates are provided in annex." (Page 1)
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"The reader of these pages may sense what amounts to deep uneasiness underlying the words of the author — the uneasiness Frank Barton felt at the enormity of the task he and IPI undertook in Africa. His story of a six-year undertaking which was sometimes thrilling and sometimes sheer uphill sloggi
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ng is told with simplicity of style and personal modesty of approach, but through it shines the sort of desperate affection he feels for the continent he knows so well. Having made his career in African journalism, Barton, first as chief lecturer and then as director, becarne the driving force of the programme für training English-speaking African journalists which Tom Hopkinson inaugurated in 1963. What Barton mentions very little and even seems deiiberately to hide, is his own leading part in the conception and operation of this programme. As an open-hearted man who knew how to translate into simple and direct terms the love of Africa which moves hirn, he was an incomparable animator of the scheme and it rests with the Director of IPI to say this with gratitude. In cold statistics, what the IPI training programme achieved in a continent of the size of Africa is srnall indeed. But the figures should not conceal from those who do not know Africa and have never lived there what patience, imagination and resourcefulness was necessary to bring together 311 students from 18 African countries and to instil into them the rudiments of modern journalism." (Foreword by Ernest Meyer, director IPI)
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"Essentiel des exposés faits au 19e Congrès de la F.I.E.J. sur le thème de l'assistance à la presse des pays en voie de développement — Les formes de l'aide africaine, latino-américaine, belge, française, américaine, anglaise et allemande y sont successivement exposées." (Jean-Marie Van B
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ol, Abdelfattah Fakhfakh: The use of mass media in the developing countries. Brussels: CIDESA, 1971 Nr. 50, topic code 122)
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