Press Statement: Introducing Africa Conference on Development Journalism (#ACDJ2019)
Africa Media Development Foundation (AMDF), a media development organisation based in Kaduna – Nigeria, wishes to introduce the Africa Conference on Development Journalism (ACDJ), an Annual Media Conference.
The Conference is meant to serve as an avenue for exchange of ideas in addressing current and emerging issues facing Development Journalism, as well as create a community of learning that will support the growth of Development Journalism in Africa.
In 2017, Africa Media Development Foundation (AMDF) held the first Journalism Conference which focused on “Role of Media in Curbing Maternal Deaths”.
The theme for the 2019 Conference is ‘Advancing Development Journalism Towards Attaining Sustainable Development Goals: Inspire. Innovate. Evolve’. The #ACDJ2019 will project SDG issues and how the media can be strategically and effectively utilised to deliver development messages.
So far, the conference has provided platform for improved relationship between the Media and other stakeholders towards achieving better outcomes for development.
Our goal is to ensure that participants who will come from Nigeria and other African countries will understand how to effectively use the media to promote and support the attainment of the SDGs.
When Journalists leave the conference, they should be able to;
Bring out the impact that various policies, programs and actions have on ordinary citizens
Highlight innovation and success stories that will motivate people and inspire change
Give voice to the voiceless
Monitor and evaluate public programmes and policies
Follow-up stories to ensure that public pronouncements of officials are translated into actions
Signalling that development issues are important through placement and enhancement.
Why Development Journalism Conference?
Development journalism is generally seen as the type of journalism that focuses on national development, especially in the developing countries. It is however a concept in many of such countries, where journalists are yet to put it to full practice. African journalists still give greater attention to their leaders in their stories and hardly project development issues, which negatively affect the development and growth of their nations.
For more information, kindly visit the conference website www.djconference.org
Signed
Iliya Kure
Executive Director
Africa Media Development Foundation (AMDF)
08054327531
