Journalism in Africa – no bed of roses - 25 Jan 2010
By Sindy Peters, content manager
While the new year may be brimming with positivity, being a journo in Africa is still no bed of roses. If Togo's Stanislas Ocloo were alive today, he'd agree with me whole-heartedly but he was recently gunned down in Angola along with three others during the 2010 African Cup of Nations. Hard-news journos in Africa live precariously; writing one critical article on a government official, who's clearly in the wrong, could earn you a death threat during your evening meal. Such was the case with Stanley Kwenda, a contributor to the private weekly The Zimbabwean, who had to leave Zimbabwe in fear for his life after receiving a threatening phone call from a man who has been identified as the police chief superintendent, Chrispen Makedenge.
The Federation of African Journalists was recently hosted by the leaders of the Commission of the African Union in Addis Ababa to discuss the state of press freedom in the continent. Is a conference here and a meeting there enough though or will the industry continue fighting a losing battle? Empty words and unfulfilled promises are always the most disheartening. It will certainly take more than a resolution to create an enabling working environment for Africa's journalists. But where do we start?
