Two countries, Ethiopia, and Morocco have put in bids to host the next African Media Convention (AMC) in 2025.
The two countries were the only ones that made proposals to host the largest media gathering in Africa after close of application on Friday, May 17,2024.
The bidding teams of both nations defended their proposals during the closing of the third AMC, which Ghana hosted in Accra.
The bidding team from Ethiopia, for instance, touted their country’s long-standing history and impeccable record of press freedom.
However, a participant at the forum challenged their bid, arguing that a journalist was recently killed in that country.
More also, Tanzania, an East African nation in the same geographical zone as Ethiopia hosted the first edition of the AMC in 2022, therefore, other countries should be given the opportunity to host it.
Morocco’s bidding team also recounted their country’s long history of advancing press freedom and welcoming people from different racial backgrounds.
It also cited various physical infrastructure the Moroccan government had put up to host the event.
Meanwhile, the Steering Committee of the African Media Convention, chaired by Mr Churchill Otieno, also the President of the Africa Editors Forum, will make a final determination of the next host nation of AMC in the coming days.
The three-day AMC was held on the theme: “The African Media We Want: Enhancing Freedom, Innovation, and Environmental Sustainability in a Dynamic Media Landscape”.
The event brought together about 2,000 participants across the continent, including policymakers, Ministers of State, academia, researchers, and media practitioners.
The AMC is an annual conference providing a platform to reflect on the fundamental role of journalism on the continent, celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom and deliberate on measures to safeguard media freedoms.
The inaugural Convention took place in Arusha, Tanzania in 2022, followed by a successful second gathering in Lusaka, Zambia in 2023.
The forum also focuses on promotion of access to information, the safety of journalists and media viability in the African Union Member States.
It is being organised by UNESCO Addis Ababa Liaison Office to AU and UNECA, the African Union, hosted by the Ministry of Information, the Ghana Journalists Association, and various media partners.
The stakeholders would collaborate to develop action plans and advocate policies that foster a free, vibrant, and impactful press across the continent.
GNA
GRB
17 May 2024
