African Media
Everything you want to know about the vibrant media scene in Africa. Tune in to the weekly talk-show.
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Combatting 'fake' news in Africa
Although the aftermath of the US elections and the rise of 'fake' news on American social media and the press have caused a stir around the world, African news consumers have had to deal with 'fake' news for some time. RFI's Laura Angela Bagnetto speaks to three media experts on the continent-- Jimmy Kainja, Zumba, Malawi-based media expert and co-editor of Africablogging.org, William Bird, the executive director of Media Monitoring Africa, and Anim Van Wyk, the editor of Africa Check South Africa to find out how readers and listeners can protect themselves.05/02/201709:43 -
The Marriott Cell: How I got through my deepest, darkest moments in Egypt's notorious Scorpion prison
Egyptian-born Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy has published a book about being jailed for collaborating with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. The Marriott Cell recounts the story of how he and his Al Jazeera colleagues were branded terrorists and spent more than a year behind bars before he was pardoned by President Abdul Fattah Al Sisi. The case grabbed headlines around the world and marked a key point in Egypt’s changing relationship with press freedom. This week’s African Media spoke to Mohamed Fahmy about his time in a notorious Cairo prison, how he had access to some of the world’s most dangerous terrorists and the message he would send to other journalists currently languishing in Egyptian jails.28/12/201610:06 -
Refunite, the technology that reunites refugee families
This week, African Media looks at an online technology, Refunite, that helps migrants and refugees to locate their loved ones, wherever they are. But first we go to Morocco, where a TV show sparked outrage on a lot of social media this week.06/12/2016 -
Egypt’s media crackdown: targeting of journalists union and continued detention of reporters
The head of an Egyptian journalists union and two board members have in recent weeks been given suspended two year jail sentences and fined for harbouring fugitives. The charges against Yehia Kalash, president of the Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate, Gamal Abdel Rahim and Khaled Elbalshy stem from a police raid on the union’s building in May. Two journalists, wanted by police over protests against the transfer of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, had taken refuge at the building. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has said the charges against members of the Journalists’ Syndicate was not an issue of freedom of speech. However, press freedom advocates such as the Committee to Protect Journalists have said the journalists union is being punished for working to protect journalists from harassment, threats and arrests. Meanwhile, a number of journalists continue to be held behind bars in Egypt often without charge. One such case is photographer Mahmoud Abu Zeid ‘Shawkan’ who has spent more than 1,000 days in jail following his arrest during the Rabaa protests in 2013. This week’s African Media speaks to an expert on Egyptian media to discuss the significance of the charges against members of the journalists union and a lawyer who is representing Shawkan in Geneva, petitioning to have his case recognised by the UN.29/11/201609:58 -
Radio silence in Kinshasa as RFI cut drags on; How “Somali Faces” shares stories to counter negative perceptions of Somalis
In this week's edition of African Media, we go to the DRC, where RFI broadcasts have been cut for over a week. Then, we talk to a young photographer who is challenging negative perceptions about Somalis.12/11/201611:23 -
Ethiopia is fighting the people, not a rebel group: Berhanu Nega on State of Emergency
The Ethiopian government has declared a six-month state of emergency after protests in the capital, Addis Ababa, and around the country resulted in extrajudicial killings of at least 500 people, according to protesters. RFI spoke to Berhanu Nega, the head of Patriotic Ginbot 7, a new group formed by the merger of Patriotic Front and Ginbot 7. Speaking from Eritrea, he says that the Ethiopian government-imposed State of Emergency will not work on the people because these are tactics used for guerilla warfare.24/10/201609:59 -
Exploring Kampala's "Little Mogadishu" through photography; revisiting RFI Hausa correspondent court case
This week's African Media talks to Anne Ackermann, whose evocative photo series, "Behind Veils and Walls" on the Somali community in Kampala, Uganda is being showcased at the Bay St Brieuc International Photo Reporer Festival in France. We also look at press freedom issues in Liberia, Western Sahara, Sudan, and the trial of RFI Hausa's Cameroon correspondent, Ahmed Abba.09/10/201610:04 -
From the "Heart of Darkness" to "Africa Rising" – analysing the changing role of reporting on Africa
This week’s African Media speaks to the editors of Africa's Media Image in the 21st Century, a book described as the single most important collection of analyses of African media and image in 25 years. The book, published in July, explores whether international reporting on Africa has gone beyond the old, tired clichés. It questions China’s emerging role in Africa in terms of investment in news reporting and discusses how the continent’s image has been framed by aid and development stories.06/09/2016 -
Battling censorship in Lesotho and South Africa
A newspaper editor is recovering from surgery after being nearly assassinated in Lesotho for an article he published about a high profile army commander. Meanwhile in South Africa, journalists claim victory in their censorship row with the state broadcaster, the SABC.28/07/201612:50 -
Zimbabwe: Social media show anger at ecnomic woes
This week's African Media goes to Ethiopia and Zimbabwe to talk about social media networks but for very different reasons. In Ethiopia the government has imposed a ban on social networks supposedly to help students focus on their exams. And in Zimbabwe discontent expressed online has been growing since April after Zimbabwean pastor Evan Mawarire posted a video rant about his economic struggles using the hashtag #ThisFlag.19/07/2016 -
Refugee Radio, by and for refugees; Zambia Post newspaper seized by government
In this week's African Media, we take a special look at World Refugee Day by speaking to Larry Moore Macaulay, Nigerian founder and editor-in-chief of Germany-based Refugee Radio; and RFI's Daniel Finnan speaks to Zambia Post's News Editor Joseph Mwenda on the govenrment shutting down production of the independent newspaper in Lusaka.29/06/201610:00 -
RFI Ghana correspondent wins US fellowship for data journalism project
RFI's Ghana correspondent Nana Boakye-Yiadom talks to African Media about his new fellowship in the US, and his quest to educate journalists around the continent about data journalism with his new venture iJournoAfrica. We'll also be sharing news and views on journalism and journalists around the continent, including Somalia, Botswana, and Senegal.13/06/201610:50 -
Rights group asks Ugandan President Musevini to safeguard freedom of expression
In this week's African Media, RFI takes a look at freedom of speech violations in Uganda.We will speak with a rights activist who signed a letter asking the Ugandan President to put an end to freedom of speech violations. Also we will take a look at Burundi and Egypt where the authorities are cracking down on press freedom.09/06/2016 -
South African translation app aims to bring communities together
In this week's African Media, RFI takes a look at what's making the headlines on the African continent. Our main interview of the week will focus on a smartphone app aiming, through language, to bring different South African communities together. We’ll speak to Glenn Stein, the 27 year old creator of Aweza..02/06/2016
African Media
Everything you want to know about the vibrant media scene in Africa. Tune in to the weekly talk-show.