African Media

Although the aftermath of the US elections and the rise of 'fake' news on American social media and the press have caused a stir around the world, African news consumers have had to deal with 'fake' news for some time. RFI's Laura Angela Bagnetto speaks to three media experts on the continent-- Jimmy Kainja, Zumba, Malawi-based media expert and co-editor of Africablogging.org, William Bird, the executive director of Media Monitoring Africa, and Anim Van Wyk, the editor of Africa Check South Africa to find out how readers and listeners can protect themselves.

Egyptian-born Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy has published a book about being jailed for collaborating with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. The Marriott Cell recounts the story of how he and his Al Jazeera colleagues were branded terrorists and spent more than a year behind bars before he was pardoned by President Abdul Fattah Al Sisi. The case grabbed headlines around the world and marked a key point in Egypt’s changing relationship with press freedom. This week’s African Media spoke to Mohamed Fahmy about his time in a notorious Cairo prison, how he had access to some of the world’s most dangerous terrorists and the message he would send to other journalists currently languishing in Egyptian jails. Can you tell us about your book?It basically includes details of my case and how I spent 438 days incarcerated in Egypt and branded as a terrorist while I was only doing my job as a journalist for Al Jazeera. It was interesting to write because it includes interviews with members of the Muslim Brotherhood, IS

This week, African Media looks at an online technology, Refunite, that helps migrants and refugees to locate their loved ones, wherever they are. But first we go to Morocco, where a TV show sparked outrage on a lot of social media this week. In the first part of our magazine, Rothna Begum from the Women's Rights in North Africa for Human Rights Watch, explains why a make-up video sparked outrage in Morocco.On the morning show Sabahiyat, on Morocco’s state television, a make-up artist gave the audience some beauty tips to help them quote-unquote "carry on with daily life".But this was no usual make-up advice: she was showing women how to cover up bruises from domestic violence.This sequence from the show was then shared widely on social media.In the second part of the magazine, we spoke to the founders of Refunite, brothers David and Christopher Mikkelsen.

The head of an Egyptian journalists union and two board members have in recent weeks been given suspended two year jail sentences and fined for harbouring fugitives. The charges against Yehia Kalash, president of the Egyptian Journalists’ Syndicate, Gamal Abdel Rahim and Khaled Elbalshy stem from a police raid on the union’s building in May. Two journalists, wanted by police over protests against the transfer of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia, had taken refuge at the building. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has said the charges against members of the Journalists’ Syndicate was not an issue of freedom of speech. However, press freedom advocates such as the Committee to Protect Journalists have said the journalists union is being punished for working to protect journalists from harassment, threats and arrests. Meanwhile, a number of journalists continue to be held behind bars in Egypt often without charge. One such case is photographer Mahmoud Abu Zeid ‘Shawkan’ who has spent more than 1,000 days i

In this week's edition of African Media, we go to the DRC, where RFI broadcasts have been cut for over a week. Then, we talk to a young photographer who is challenging negative perceptions about Somalis. RFI has been unable to broadcast in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, since authorities cut its signal over a week ago. In this edition of African Media, we bring you the latest on the case and talk to a local media rights activist about the worsening situation for journalists as political tensions increase.Then, we speak to one of the founders of “Somali Faces”, a project that aims to share the extraordinary stories of Somalis all over the world to counter negative media perceptions. Mohammed Ibrahim Shire talks about the people he’s met and how it has changed him personally.

The Ethiopian government has declared a six-month state of emergency after protests in the capital, Addis Ababa, and around the country resulted in extrajudicial killings of at least 500 people, according to protesters. RFI spoke to Berhanu Nega, the head of Patriotic Ginbot 7, a new group formed by the merger of Patriotic Front and Ginbot 7. Speaking from Eritrea, he says that the Ethiopian government-imposed State of Emergency will not work on the people because these are tactics used for guerilla warfare.

This week's African Media talks to Anne Ackermann, whose evocative photo series, "Behind Veils and Walls" on the Somali community in Kampala, Uganda is being showcased at the Bay St Brieuc International Photo Reporer Festival in France. We also look at press freedom issues in Liberia, Western Sahara, Sudan, and the trial of RFI Hausa's Cameroon correspondent, Ahmed Abba. 

A newspaper editor is recovering from surgery after being nearly assassinated in Lesotho for an article he published about a high profile army commander. Meanwhile in South Africa, journalists claim victory in their censorship row with the state broadcaster, the SABC.  The truth is mightier than the guns of darkness, a top rights group has hit out in condemning an assassination attempt on the editor of the Lesotho Times and Sunday Express.Lloyd Mutungamiri was attacked by two unknown gunmen on 9 July, in apparent retaliation for his article about an alleged exit package for the country’s army commander, Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli.His shooting came after a tough week for him and his company.Earlier he and his colleague, Keiso Mohloboli were arrested by police and urged to reveal their sources. Mohloboli has now fled Lesotho and gone into exile."This is a matter that we urge our government to investigate thoroughly," Tsebo Matsasa, the director of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) in Lesotho to

This week's African Media goes to Ethiopia and Zimbabwe to talk about social media networks but for very different reasons. In Ethiopia the government has imposed a ban on social networks supposedly to help students focus on their exams. And in Zimbabwe discontent expressed online has been growing since April after Zimbabwean pastor Evan Mawarire posted a video rant about his economic struggles using the hashtag #ThisFlag. 

In this week's African Media, we take a special look at World Refugee Day by speaking to Larry Moore Macaulay, Nigerian founder and editor-in-chief of Germany-based Refugee Radio; and RFI's Daniel Finnan speaks to Zambia Post's News Editor Joseph Mwenda on the govenrment shutting down production of the independent newspaper in Lusaka.

RFI's Ghana correspondent Nana Boakye-Yiadom talks to African Media about his new fellowship in the US, and his quest to educate journalists around the continent about data journalism with his new venture iJournoAfrica. We'll also be sharing news and views on journalism and journalists around the continent, including Somalia, Botswana, and Senegal.

In this week's African Media, RFI takes a look at freedom of speech violations in Uganda.We will speak with a rights activist who signed a letter asking the Ugandan President to put an end to freedom of speech violations. Also we will take a look at Burundi and Egypt where the authorities are cracking down on press freedom.

In this week's African Media, RFI takes a look at what's making the headlines on the African continent. Our main interview of the week will focus on a smartphone app aiming, through language, to bring different South African communities together. We’ll speak to Glenn Stein, the 27 year old creator of Aweza..    

We take a look at an app for mothers-to-be that's been developed in Cameroon and we go to Sudan, where the escalation in censorship comes as a committee formed by the justice ministry is preparing to discuss a new press law.

We take a look at Uganda where the government shut down social networks this week, Burundi, a year after radios were shut down during a failed coup and at a new website about democracy in South Africa.

In this week's African Media we take a closer look at how World Press Freedom Day has its roots on the continent. We'll also hear about a new report on female journalists, Egyptian reporter arrests and Afrobarometer's poll on the most used medium for news across Africa.

China dominates the goods trade with Africa, becoming the continent’s largest trading partner. In this week’s African Media, our correspondent Nancy Fleming has been looking at how some of the continent’s journalists cover China’s ever-increasing interests in Africa.

South Africa’s violent crime rate is notoriously high, with an average of 50 people murdered in the country every day. Journalists are not immune from such violent attacks. In fact, they have even become a target, with a number of cases in just the past few weeks alleging that police officers are complicit in some of these attacks. In this week’s look at the media in Africa, RFI's correspondent Nancy Fleming talks to some of the targeted journalists to find out more.

In this week’s African Media, we look at how African journalists worked on the Panama Papers; and we hear about one journalist's prison experience in Botswana. Being thrown in prison became a "blessing in disguise" for Sonny Serite, a freelance investigative journalist in Gaborone, Botswana, arrested for almost receiving classified government documents. RFI talks to Serite about his experience and why the President Ian Khama government does not support freedom of speech. Why were you arrested?I was arrested on suspicion I was going to receive a confidential file from the office of the president. It was suspicious that someone waiting in the office of the president was going to give me a file that was why I was arrested.That was the official reason, but you have written a number of articles criticizing President Ian Khama’s government. Do you think that came into play? Did you know the person who was giving you this file?First of all, let me start by admitting that there is a hostile relationship between the g

In this week's African Media, we talk to a Sierra Leonean feminist and professor who gives back to women through her Girls Empowerment Summit, and Women Change Africa blog; and media news in Congo Brazzaville and Uganda.