Photo credits: Pawel Chojnacki
Media & Journalism
The crisis of the public sphere (and objectivity?), which has been evident for some time now, and the open hostility towards “mainstream media" will be part of our focus, as will the success stories from (investigative) journalism, great moments in international cooperation and collaborative framing of data traces and narratives. How are we dealing with each other in social discourses and in the comment sections? How do you prepare yourself for technological developments that keep making it harder to differentiate between what is real and what is fake? Is it a contradiction that robots can cover sports for us perfectly well, yet we are especially dependent on reporters and commentators to categorise and classify current events for us? What experiments and projects should you keep an eye on?
In this track we want to hear about the state of digital media freedom, the changing nature of public spheres, the effects of fake news, the changing media landscapes and the evolution of social media, about video platforms and other forms of online expression and entertainment. We invite media professionals, journalists, bloggers, storytellers, and citizen journalism projects of all kinds to share their insights, research and experiences. We’d love to see contributions from investigative journalists presenting their findings, from hashtag campaign initiators, from social media analysts and influencers.
- Media & JournalismData-The West Africa Leaks showed the massive scale of illicit financial flows, tax avoidance and evasion and corruption in African states. If used correctly, open and big data can create more transparency and contribute to fighting corruption and financial crimes. The discussion wants to shed light on the necessary preconditions for investigative journalists to make use of open and big data, while also taking into account the increasingly limited freedom of press in some parts of Africa.
- Media & Journalism-All of us are challenged by fake news and disinformation spreading online. On social media posts can spread like wildfire – but how can users verify if what they see or read is actually true? „True story ...?“, a verification quiz show, is coming to re:publica Accra to shed some light on the darkness.
- Media & Journalism- , - , - , -Get a taste of modern journalism and join us on a “tro-tro” trip as a mobile reporter. We’ll drive you around town in one of Ghana’s typical minibuses. On the road you’ll learn techniques of mobile storytelling and produce your own short video report on a smartphone.
- Media & JournalismFuture-Even 50 or 60 years after many African countries gained their independence the colonial legacy lingers on in many spheres: media reports about political developments in London, Paris, Brussels or Lisbon far more extensively than on the events in a neighboring country. This even more so, if another colonial language is being spoken across the border. It is up to the tech-savvy generation in African countries to overcome this legacy by using modern means of communication.
- Media & JournalismAccess-Connectivity for connectivity's sake is not enough. To bridge the gap that technology creates, it’s not just telecoms infrastructure that needs to be installed, but affordable connectivity and relevant content to engage with in order to ensure that individuals can advance their digital literacy. 'Smart Township' initiatives empower localised content as well as access to real economic opportunities by providing affordable Public Wi-Fi in conjunction with citizen journalism.