This year's Media Freedom Festival comprised three intense and thrilling days of discussions about journalism as an essential tool for pluralism and democracy in South Africa. Topics included online harassment and the role of media in drafting the South African constitution, as well as the implications for the present and future of South African media. Another important topic was how the government is trying to shape the narrative of the G20. South Africa holds the G20 presidency this year.
In his welcome speech, Hendrik Sittig, director of KAS Media Africa set the tone for the subsequent discussions by emphasising that information integrity is essential for democracy. Other critical topics were discussed in panels featuring experts and keynote speakers, as well as during interactive sessions, workshops, and a game show about the difficult-to-determine difference between hate speech and free speech, along with the associated challenges. One of highlights of the Media Freedom Festival was the Reporter Slam, supported by our Media Programme which shone the spotlight on journalists and their work in the current media and political climate. For further information, click here.
As part of the panel 'Resilience and Sustainability: Building a Media Ecosystem that Lasts', our guest Peter Stefan Herbst, editor-in-chief of the Saarbrücker Zeitung, shared his insights into the German media landscape and the challenges that artificial intelligence poses to journalism. Our guest, Farangies Ghafoor from Tagesspiegel Berlin, Germany, also talked about journalism in the age of algorithms as part of a quickfire session. She also made a successful appearance as a German reporter alongside five South Africans at our Reporter Slam.
After three packed days, we were honoured to reaffirm our partnership with MOXII, formerly Media Monitoring Africa, and to collaborate in bringing to fruition the Media Freedom Festival with such remarkable speakers.
O ovoj seriji
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