WACC Features

Why the Arab world needs community radio as protesters seek a better world

Wed, 15 May 2013 20:53:15 +0100

Medium is under-used in a changing environment. By Daoud Kuttab Despite the ongoing debates about cause and effect, the protest movements that began in Tunisia and spread throughout the Arab world have had one clear vehicle:freedom of assembly and expression. The crowds of Arab youth who have assembled in cities, towns and villages have forced authoritarian rulers to recognize them, their right to protest the status quo and their right to demand change. While in some countries winning this right has been accomplished relatively easily and quickly, in other countries it has been difficult, dangerous and deadly. While the protests and mass expression of demands have taken place largely using traditional means (e.g. word-of-mouth, demonstrations, marches and sit-ins, all broadcast via satellite television channels), like all revolutions, we have seen an explosion of creative ideas that have leveraged creative solutions. From the use of colourful graffiti in Libya to new and social media in Egypt and Syria, young Arabs have been busy making their voices heard through a variety of new platforms. Yet one tool that has escaped the majority of Arab protesters has been radio. Like many other traditional media tools, radio has been declared dead numerous times only to see its revival and novel usage in new settings and contexts. But while the rest of the world, including many semi-closed regimes, has been tolerant of private and community radio, the Arab world, including some relatively open societies, has persistently rejected any regulation that would grant radio licenses to anyone other than government organizations or the...

Nigeria project encourages female leadership in church groups

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:30:54 +0100

Project helped promote awareness of HIV and AIDS to combat stigma. A project in Lagos state, Nigeria that was supported by WACC helped women in faith groups promote better understanding and greater awareness of HIV and AIDS and the effects of HIV related stigmatization and discrimination in the church. "Strengthening Behaviour Change Communication" engaged the leadership of womens' groups and marriage counselling units in selected churches from five localities in Lagos state as well as journalists and people living with HIV. Through this project, the group Journalists Against AIDS was able to contribute to shaping attitudes and promoting open discussions about HIV within these churches. The activities carried out involved advocacy visits, planning meetings, a three-days training and participants’ step–down trainings in their respective churches. Through role plays, interactive discussions, and case studies, the training equipped participants with communication skills and strategies. Some of the female leaders, including pastors' wives, were trained to create platforms where HIV and preventing mother-to-child transmission issues were discussed from the pulpit. Some who were also youth pastors were equipped with skills to discuss sex and other related issues with youths from an informed perspective. For instance, the women’s week of the Goodwill Baptist Church focused on preventing mother-to-child transmission. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the issue and share a list of facilities where services are offered in Lagos State.

Anglican Journal wins award for special report on WACC's work

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 18:03:19 +0100

"Communication and Human Rights" given honorable mention at Associated Church Press convention. Canada's Anglican Journal won ten awards at the Associated Church Press convention held in Indianapolis April 4-6, including an honorable mention for a special report on the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC). The four-page report -- "Communication and Human Rights” by Diana Swift -- was published in December 2012. Swift's articles covered a number of WACC initiatives, including: Advocating for the "right to public memory" for vulnerable people worldwide living with the memories of atrocities and oppression, Changing societies where people do not have the right to listen, view, read or be heard, Supporting the communication of human rights through the arts, Strengthening networks of communication, Training indigenous people in Bolivia on modern communication methods, Working with partners to promote acceptance of people with HIV/AIDS, Monitoring gender coverage in the media. The full report may be found here (http://cdn.agilitycms.com/anglican-journal/NewspaperArchives/PDFs/aj-2012-12.pdf). The Journal also won awards for design, website, columnists, photography and general excellence. More information can be found here (http://www.anglicanjournal.com/articles/ten-awards-for-anglican-journal).

Book examines issues of covering climate change

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:41:43 +0100

Media Meets Climate studied coverage of UN summits. The International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR (http://iamcr.org/)) recently posted news about a book edited by IAMCR members Elisabeth Eide and Risto Kunelius that looks at the journalistic challenges of writing about climate change. Media Meets Climate: The Global Challenge for Journalism looks at this 21st century issue by studying global coverage of the United Nations climate change summits. Building on global research from the MediaClimate Network, the book offers transnational analyses of how climate change is mediated. It asks these questions: Who or what dominates global news flows? How is the future imagined? It tackles crucial professional issues facing climate journalists. What is the role of journalistic advocacy? How is science represented? Are social media redefining journalism-source relations? According to material provided by the publisher, the book asks questions about the media’s role in global representation and misrepresentation of climate change and actors. How is climate change visualized? What role is played by gender? How are activists framed in the media? How are indigenous people covered? To read the rest of the story, click here (http://iamcr.org/members-books-newsmenu-325/997-climate).

Journalists or activists? In Egypt today, it's hard to define

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 02:38:48 +0100

Media under siege as World Press Freedom Day approaches. As World Press Freedom Day approaches on May 3, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported that in Egypt, journalists become activists in a climate of government intimidation. WACC has marked World Press Freedom Day for several years. Last year, WACC President Dr. Dennis Smith and General Secretary the Rev. Karin Achtelstetter invited members and partners to work towards an international code of ethics for citizen journalism. "We urge media practitioners – professional and citizen journalists – collectively to find common ground in efforts to agree on professional standards and codes to guide the practice of journalism. An international code of ethics for citizen journalism would provide a much needed framework for new voices working to transform societies," they wrote. According to a story on CPJ's website, "Egyptian journalists, besieged by punitive lawsuits and under threat, agree that under President Mohamed Morsi 'there is no press freedom, only the courage of journalists,' as editor Ibrahim Eissa put it." CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon writes that during a CPJ mission to Cairo, he asked Egyptian journalists "to define the difference between journalism and activism in a climate in which objectivity is impossible. Most said it was a useless exercise." The full story may be found on CPJ's website here (https://www.cpj.org/blog/2013/03/mission-journal-who-is-a-journalist-in-egypt.php). World Press Freedom Day was established by the General Assembly of the United Nations in December 1993. WACC's "Pathways to digital frontiers: Communication rights and inclusion" (en/programmes/pathways-to-digital-frontiers.html) programme aims to strengthen the work of civil society organizations at the national level...