Sunday, June 3, 2007

A Liberian Editor is Among 1,700 Editors in Sourh Africa Attending "World Editors Forum"


The Managing Editor of the NEW VISION Newspaper, Mr. Josephus M. Gray, is in the South African city of Cape Town, attending the 60th World Newspaper Congress and 14th World Editors Forum, which take place from June 2 to 7. The Forum formally started Sunday, June 3rd.
Mr. Gray is among 1700 professional journalists and high profile media executives, managers and editors from around the world that are expected to attend. Mr. Gray is one of four professional Liberian journalists attending the global events. Also on the attending include Augustus Fallah, Chairperson, Liberia Editors Association; Robert Kpadeh , Publiser/Secretary General Publishers Association Of Liberia and Crispin Tulay, Program Officer/Senior Staff Writer Newspaper In Education Liberia
Meanwhile, a special invitation was extended to journalist Gray by the World Editors Forum and World Editors Partnership Program (WEPP) base in d Paris, France; following recommendations from the United States based International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and the American Society of Newspaper Editors.
Journalist Gray, a graduate of the Washington based International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) Program held annually for international journalists, is a 2006 international fellow of the Washington Post, The New York Times, Washington Post. Com, USA Today, Savannah Morning News and the Associated Press.
In the letter of recommendations, the ICFJ applaud the NEW VISION Managing Editor for his commitment, professionalism, dedication to the pursuit of excellence in journalism and fostering sound and professional journalism at all levels of expertise.
The group makes specific reference to Mr. Gray’s presentation to the National Press Center in Washington, D.C. on the topic: Media Under Fire-The Danger of reporting in Conflict Zone. The 10-page presentation which was based on the Liberia’s experience and the Taylor’s era helps to broaden American journalists’ knowledge on the danger journalists encounter while reporting in conflict zones.
Meanwhile, the theme of the 60th World Newspaper Congress is ‘Shaping the Future of the Newspaper’ and the theme of the 14th World Editors Forum is ‘Quality Journalism in the Digital Age’. The Congress and Forum bring together each year publishers, editors, chief executives and managers from all levels of the newspaper industry.
The Forum is organized by the World Editors Forum, the organization for editors-in-chief within the World Association of Newspapers, which organizes the Congress. Events from the Congress and the Forum are held separately in Cape Town but members are free to attend any events from both conferences.
A diverse series of roundtable seminars take place this week and features Bill Keller, the Executive Editor of The New York Times, Olav Mugass, the CEO of Aftenposten in Norway while a host of other newspaper leaders who are attending the World Newspaper Congress, World Editors Forum and Info Services Expo, will be present for the events.
The roundtables -- on digital media, press freedom and young reader strategies -- are a regular feature of the eve of the Congress, Forum and Expo, the annual meetings of the world’s press organised by the World Association of Newspapers.
Mr Keller will speak about the need for a press "watchdog" in Africa, during the press freedom roundtable that will focus on the role of the independent press in increasing good governance and development in Africa. He will be joined in the session on watchdog journalism by Kwame Karikari, Executive Director of the Network of African Freedom of Expression Organisations and the Media Foundation for West Africa, and Azbuike Ishiekwene, Executive Director of Punch in Nigeria.
Mr Mugaas will examine profitable classified advertising strategies during the digital media roundtable. Other sessions in the seminar include: how to identify multiple digital revenue streams; the newspaper becomes a broadcaster; news from Yahoo! - future development opportunities for newspapers; digital gaming - new "sticky" content for newspaper sites; and World Digital Media Trends, the new research report by WAN on revenues and audiences at newspaper internet sites.
The third roundtable, on winning strategies for engaging young readers, will be led by François Dufour, founder of Playbac Presse in France and one of the world’s leading experts on attracting young people to newspapers. The seminar will examine such topics as: how the new generation differs from past generations -- and how it doesn’t; engaging a newsroom to tackle the challenge of reaching younger readers; case studies of successful cases; and more.
Other speakers include: Robert Barnard, a partner in Canada-based D-Code, which is conducting a major research project on young readership for WAN, Montserrat Lluis, Associate Editorial Director of the Vocento Group in Spain, Lisa Blakeway, founder of READright in South Africa; Jeanne-Emmanuel Gapsys-Hutin, a journalist with Ouest-France; and Aralynn McMane, Director of Young Readership Development for WAN.
In addition to the session on watchdog journalism, the press freedom roundtable will also discuss the impact of "insult" laws and criminal defamation, and the best ways to place a free and independent press higher on the international agenda.
Other speakers at the press freedom roundtable include Fackson Banda, a media analyst and columnist from Zambia, Raymond Louw, Editor & Publisher of the Southern Africa Report, Pius Njawé, Publisher of Le Messager in Cameroon, Alfred Dan Moussa, Editor in Chief of Franternité Matin in the Ivory Coast and Vice President of the Francophone Press Union.

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