Johannesburg, 2 October 2024 — Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) is excited to announce the 2024 Media Freedom Festival under the theme, “Media for Democracy: Ensuring Access, Accountability and Integrity in Journalism”. Proudly founded by MMA, this year marks an exciting expansion, with new and strengthened partnerships with leading organisations committed to collaboratively amplifying media freedom and human rights. With the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) joining us as our media partner, this year’s festival promises to be more impactful than ever before.
The festival, which will run from October 15 to 17, 2024, at the Goethe-Institut in Johannesburg, marks an integral moment in the safeguarding of our media and democracy, bringing together a coalition of partners dedicated to promoting media freedom and advocating for human rights.
The festival continues its tradition of honouring Black Wednesday (October 19), the day in 1977 that the apartheid government clamped down on media and political organisations with far-reaching detentions, bannings and newspaper closures. With that background, this year’s event promises three days of dynamic dialogue, thought-provoking discussions, and insightful exchanges into the current news media industry challenges. It is co-hosted by the South African National Editors Forum (SANEF), Campaign for Free Expression (CFE), Association of Independent Publishers (AIP), Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), the Press Council, SOS Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS), alongside international partners such as the German Embassy and Goethe-Institut.
With the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) joining as our media partner, the festival is poised to have a far-reaching impact, spotlighting key media and human rights issues with the participation of industry leaders, experts, and advocates. The festival will also offer intimate conversations that foster deeper, smaller group discussions on critical media topics.
For an in-depth look at the festival, visit our website here.
Festival Highlights:
- The State of Free Expression in South Africa
- Building Global Solidarity – The Media Freedom Coalition
- Elections and the Way Forward: Ethical Reporting in the Age of Online Harms
- Exploring the Legal Boundaries of Freedom of Expression: “Rate the Hate” Challenge
- Artificial Intelligence and Journalism: Navigating the Future of News
- Media for Tomorrow: Building Sustainable Solutions Today
Intimate Conversations: These sessions will explore specialised issues such as:
- Insights Into Incitement
- Mental Health and Journalism
- Online Integrity Ombud (OIO): Finding Solutions to Disinformation
Each of these intimate sessions will feature a key focus person and an expert, allowing participants to engage in meaningful, focused discussions in groups of up to 14 people.
Festival Details:
Dates: October 15 – 17, 2024
Venue: Goethe-Institut, 119 Jan Smuts Avenue, Johannesburg, 2193
Morning & Evening Spotlight Events: Key discussions on critical media issues
Intimate Conversations: Limited to 14 participants, fostering in-depth exploration of key topics
For media inquiries, or to confirm participation in any of the sessions, please contact:
Nomshado Lubisi
nomshadol@mma.org.za
011 788 2178