14 July 2009

VOA Journalist Will Discuss Media Freedom in Francophone Africa

July 16 webchat (French) with VOA French-to-Africa editor Ferdinand Ferella

There has been notable progress and a significant shift toward democratization and media diversity in Africa over the past 15 to 20 years. Mainstream, alternative and new forms of media, such as community-owned and privately owned commercial media, have steadily emerged and grown in number and diversity of opinion. This growth is due in large part to the space created by the shift from dictatorial regimes to multiparty democracies and elections, as well as the end of the cold war and internal calls for democratic reform.

In many Francophone African countries, as new media entities have emerged, state-owned media, equally important for the public interest, have stagnated in the face of competition and diversity. On July 16, at 9 a.m. EDT (13:00 GMT), VOA journalist Ferdinand Ferella will explore the evolving media and communication space in Francophone Africa, noting strengths and weaknesses, with an eye toward future development.

Ferdinand Ferella is the managing editor of the French-to-Africa Service at the Voice of America (VOA). A VOA broadcaster since 1986, he covered the 1992 and 1997 civil wars in the Congo (Brazzaville), the Burundi civil war that started in 1993, the 1994 Rwanda genocide, the 1996 and 1998 regional wars in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the country's first democratic elections in 2006.

If you would like to participate in this French-language webchat, please go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/africamedia/. No registration is needed. Simply choose "Enter as a Guest," type in your preferred screen name and join the discussion. We accept questions and comments in advance of, and at any time during, the program.

The transcript of this webchat will be available on America.gov’s webchat page, where information about upcoming webchats is also available.