Florence Namasinga Selnes with her study on the use of social media
Florence Namasinga Selnes from Uganda defended her Ph D thesis “Sourcing in converged media spheres. A study of how print journalists in Uganda use social media in routine news coverage” at the University of Oslo Friday 31 August.
Future media and changing media paradigms in the digital age were the central topics at the Cairo Media Conference organized on 8 and 9 May, with participants from Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon and – Norway. Characteristic of the conference was also the blend of editors, journalists and media academics, which opted for fruitful exchanges. Tarek Atia, founder of the Egypt Media Development Program(EMDP) was the main host for the conference, which was a co-operation between EMDP and Egyptian Editors forum (EEF), the American University in Cairo (AUC) and JMIC/OsloMet.
Gerald Walulya in Oslo for his PhD
Gerald Walulya defended his thesis “Hybrid Journalism? An Investigation into Press Coverage of Elections in East Africa’s One-party Dominant States of Tanzania and Uganda” 7 March at the Department of Media and Communication at the University of Oslo. He was the the first NORHED PhD-student to do so.
Walulya is Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Journalism & Communication at Makerere University in Kampala in Uganda. He was the local coordinator for a course in safety for journalists students organized by JMIC last year (more information)
Helge Rønning, Bruce Mutsvairo, Kristin Skare Orgeret and Hilde Arntsen (to the right) (Photo: Erik A Eileng)
Bruce Mutsvairo, editor of the Palgrave Handbook of Media and Communication Research in Africa, opened the ‘Researching Media in Africa’ seminar at Oslo Metropolitan University the 22 February.
Vice rector Morten Irgens and Research Director Kristin Sverdrup wished welcome to the seminar, which marked the start of the OsloMet Africa Network.
Phd candidate Gerald Walulya from Makerere University and JMIC’s Kristin Skare Orgeret presented research during the seminar.
The Palgrave Handbook was launched in the afternoon in cooperation with the Norwegian Council for Africa.
Representative of the Prime Minister of Palestine, Minister of Justice Dr. Ali Abu Diak during his opening speech (Photo: Rua´a Makhlouf)
The Arabic version of UNESCOs World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development Global Report (2017/2018) has been launched at An-Najah National University in Nablus in Palestine.
The launch was a cooperation between UNESCO, the university and JMIC – which has also supported the Arabic translation.
Elisabeth Eide
JMICs director, Elisabeth Eide, lectured at a Conference organized by The Association of Schools of Political Studies of the Council of Europe on January 25th (2018). The full-week Conference title was “Freedom of Speech, Media and Society”. Eide’s lecture: “Transnational Navigation: Modern Citizenship, Journalism and New Media Challenges”, was followed by a lively Q&A-session.
Participants after the opening of the international workshop 28th – 29th of November (Souhir Chaabani, CAWTAR journalist)
Journalists and researchers from Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia and Norway met in Tunisia 28th – 29th of November to discuss “Social Networks and Freedom: Challenges of the Maghreb”.
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has given JMIC a grant that will enable us to continue the activities with partners in the Global South planned for the next two years.
JMIC´s aim is to build institutions for democracy and freedom of expression: ”Support of good practices in journalist education, independent media in vulnerable countries, protection of journalists working in conflict zones and journalists’ access to information. ”
In the coming year, several activities are planned. A workshop on extremism and social media is planned this autumn in Tunisia – as well as a regional security course next year. A regional security course is also planned in Uganda.
In cooperation with the Article 19 offices in North Africa, Eastern Africa and South Asia regional workshops on access to information are planned in Tunisia, Kenya and Nepal. We will also strengthen the cooperation with UNESCO.
The Rig on press freedom will be introduced in Palestine, a conference on gender and media is scheduled in South Asia, and cooperation will continue in Iran and Afghanistan. Besides, a regional cooperation project on visual journalism in China will continue. Development of teaching material is an ongoing activity, and a web portal will be prioritized.
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AJ Gani´s exhibition in Tøihuset, Old Town, Fredrikstad.
During this year’s DOK17 the graduating students in photojournalism launched their book and exhibition “Meanwhile” consisting of visual stories from China. Several HiOA photojournalism alumnis were present both as participant in the festivals seminar program and as exhibiting photographers. Farzana Hossen, visual artist from Bangladesh and former participants in the HiOA´s photojournalism bachelors course, international reporting, showed her project “Only Because They are Women” on Bangladeshi victims of acid attacks in an open-air exhibition outside the Cultural House in the Old Town. Close by in Tøihuset the Bangladeshi photographer AJ Ghani displayed his project “Statless Untouchable” about the Dalits cast in Nepal post 2015 earthquake. Yan Cong from China exhibiting her work “The price of happiness” Commercially arranged marriage between Chinese men and Cambodian women is not uncommon in a village called Huanggang in south China. Both projects supported by the Fritt Ord-foundation student grant.
The DOK-festival in Fredrikstad, Norway, is the Norwegian national festival for documentary photography and photojournalism. The festival is an event that gathers professionals, students, lecturers and general public mainly from Scandinavia. During the two week long festival-period 8 – 10 open air Exhibitions are on display throughout the city centre and in Fredrikstad´s Old Town. In addition to exhibitions in pop-up-galleries and the exhibition hall Hydrogenfabrikken. During the weekend 150 – 200 participants gathered to join seminars and lectures with international recognized photojournalists and visual storytellers in the House of Literature. This year’s line-up consisted of Damon Winter (the New York Times), Peter van Agtmael (Magnum Photos), Jonas Bendiksen (Magnum Photos), Luisa Dörr (VII), Joakim Eskildsen, Glenna Gordon, Espen Rasmussen and Warren Richardsson (Worl Press Photo winner 2016). The festival is organized by the DOK-foundation and hosted by Pressefotografenes klubb Norge (NPPA Norway). The HiOA faculty member Jon Petter Evensen is head of the DOK-festival organizing committee. Read more. 
JMIC’s leader Elisabeth Eide, recently gave the lecture «Global citizenship» at the European Council Association of Schools of Political Studies. The large conference, gathering many people from Russia and other Eastern European countries, was vibrant with lively discussions and intriguing questions. A wonderful experience.
JMIC’s leader Elisabeth Eide
Stockholm, 25 – 29 April 2017
