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A national
editors forum to strengthen...
Mozambican senior editors on 16 March elected a Committee to prepare a national constitutive assembly of a National Editors Forum, conceived as a common space for executive content managers to discuss and coordinate ideas and editorial plans in a more systematic, organized manner. The idea to establish a formal, legal structure through which senior editors can meet, express opinions, discuss and agreed on different subjects of common interest and concern was fIrst put in consideration in 2003, when the Media Project and SARDC organized debates on elections coverage by the national media. Crucial subjects such as competence in editorial management and leadership, access to sources of information, partnerships and coordination with similar fora in the region and elsewhere, as well as the search for high level permanent training opportunities have been mentioned as some of the objectives of the future forum. It is worthy to mention that, incidentally, the Mozambican editor's initiative coincided well with a similar general movement across the continent, where beginning from March 2003, national editors forums have been established with the guiding principle of promoting the common interests of senior editorial executives and who carry on business, professions or occupations in the print and electronic media, including newspapers, magazines, regional publications, radio and television, media education, and the journalism profession generally. Editors also stress the need to foster solidarity among journalists and to promote cooperation in all matters of common concern between the print and electronic media, and the public and the independent/private sectors. Through their national forum, senior editors intend to help aspirant and practicing journalists to acquire or develop new skills and professional depths through media education programmes. The meeting urged the elected Committee to prepare and hold the national constitutive assembly of the National Forum in a six months period, i.e., up until September 2004. The Media Project is supporting the initiative, including with some funding to facilitate initial meetings and mobilization activities.
Scaling up of the many existing pilot projects carried out in Mozambique in the area of Community Radio and Community Telecenters is the Idea of a major project initiated by UNESCO Paris with initial Swiss funding. A Community Multimedia Centre (CMC) is a combination of a community radio and a telecentre. During the WSIS in Geneva in December the Head of State of Mozambique, together with the Presidents of Mali and Senegal accepted the invitation to be the pilot countries for the initiative. Ms. Stella Hughes from UNESCO Paris visited Mozambique March 22-25 to launch the initiative and prepare the next steps, ensuring that these will be in close conformity and coordination with existing national strategic plans. It is foreseen that initial studies and workshops have paved the way for implementation as of July this year.
The Media Project has just approved a decision to provide the RM
delegation in Xai-Xai (Gaza Province) with a whole new studio, thus
significantly boosting the station's technical capacity.
The Media Project has received a number of applications to support media women with both academic and professional training opportunities, as we are mobilizing efforts in order to speed up the implementation pace of a specific component dealing with this sub sector of the country's professional media practioners. Following a working lunch on 31 March with media women ITom different media institutions, applications were sent requesting supporting for graduate and master studies, as well as for management and leadership, and English language training. In a dynamic exchange and debate, senior and midcareear women journalists deplored what they called a continued lack of a long-term staff training policy from the country's media companies, specially with focus on gender equity. The Media Project plans to positively respond to almost all the applications during the present Phase III, expected to close next June. The National Community Radio Forum will be launched during the week from 26 to 30 April in the provincial capital of Manica, Chimoio. More than 150 delegates representing 45 community radio stations are expected to take part in the national constitutive assembly. Main topics for discussion include: the FORCOM's Constitution, and the election of its governing organs, including the National Council and the Fiscal Committee. National delegates from all over the country will be joined by observers from Angola and South Aftica, in the SADC Region, as well as from Holland's NIZA.
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