The 2015 African Media Leaders Forum (AMLF) will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 11 – 13 November under the theme ‘Shaping Development Conversations in Africa: The Role of Media in the Digital Environment’.
The board of trustees and management of the African Media Initiative (AMI) said it had asked media leaders across the continent to prioritise six possible topics to be discussed during the AMLF. The outcome of the survey pointed to some important differences between Francophone and Anglophone speakers, but the top choices in both languages were, the Media and Development and Adapting to Digital Technology themes.
The other subjects, in order of preference, included Audience Data and Media Performance; Achieving Success in the News Business; Assessing New (foreign) Players in African Media; and Production Costs, and Newspaper Distribution & Circulation. Based on a linguistic breakdown, the top choice in English was the Media and Development theme, closely followed by Achieving Success in the News Business. In French, the top two choices were, respectively, Adapting to Digital Technology and Media & Development themes.
“We will make sure that the AMLF 2015, which will be at its 7th edition, not only focuses on the key concerns of the industry but also comes out with a clear road map on how we deal with these issues,” said Dr. Roukaya Kasenally, the organisation’s senior adviser for media development. “AMI has carried out some important studies on the state of media in Africa and will ensure that these findings inform the Forum discussions.”
