Invitation to register : Highway Africa conference 2021

by Amm Admin | May 13, 2021 | Blog

𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚’𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲!
Registration for Africa’s biggest conference for journalists, media scholars and NGOs working in the media, the 2021 Highway Africa (HA) summit conference, opens today and closes at the end of business on 18 June 2021. The conference will be held virtually because of Covid-19. The HA summit returns after a short hiatus to take a deep dive into the future of African media and journalism, which have been severely disrupted by a variety of local and international challenges, including the increasing domination of the industry by the global technological platforms.
A line-up of top world-class speakers will lead high-level and cross-cutting debates that will seek to offer practical and workable initiatives that media and journalism could take on board to try to reverse an unprecedented slide in their economic and financial fortunes. The speakers have been drawn from a variety of academic disciplines and from media experts who daily trouble-shoot on the ground to seek innovative solutions – some of which fail while others succeed – to an industry that is staring an existential crisis. Book your front-row seat at the conference early by visiting and registering on the HA website at https://highwayafrica.ru.ac.za. Should you have any questions or encounter any problems with registration, please contact Mbali Buthelezi on +27 46 603 8949 or email her on m.buthelezi@ru.ac.za
Don’t let the future happen without you!
Date: 21 June 2021 to 23 June 2021
Venue: Online
Cost: R750
More info: Virtual
Contact: Mbali Buthelezi
Company name: Rhodes School of Journalism and Media Studies
Telephone number: +27466038949
Email address m.buthelezi@ru.ac.za

Register

2021 SOUTHERN AFRICA MEDIA GRANT FOR SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTING

by Amm Admin | May 11, 2021 | Blog

2021 SOUTHERN AFRICA MEDIA GRANT FOR SOCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTING

Highway Africa (HA), together with the Partnership for Social Accountability (PSA) Alliance, invites media houses in Southern Africa to apply for the 2021 Southern Africa Media Grant for Social Accountability Reporting.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE GRANT

HA and PSA aim to support high-quality investigative reporting on issues of social accountability, specifically on HIV / SRHR and food security by media organisations in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

ABOUT THE GRANT

The grant supports two media organisations from the PSA Alliance’s project countries – Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe – on developing an investigative story, using data journalism, on issues of social accountability related to one of the following categories:

1. HIV and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR)
2. Food Security

Applications will be examined by a panel of media experts in the region. The representatives of the selected media houses will be invited to attend the virtual Highway Africa Conference to be held on 21-23 June 2021, where the grant will be presented.

GRANT AMOUNT

USD 1000.00 each for two media houses with the best story idea

CRITERIA

• Eligible story ideas should consist of investigative reporting on issues of social accountability[i] related to HIV and sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and food security.
• The media organisations must be based in Malawi, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia or Zimbabwe.
• Story ideas can be in any language spoken in the five countries.
• Story ideas can be for print, online, radio, TV, multimedia and photo journalism.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION

28 May 2021 (23:59 GMT +2)

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants are strongly encouraged to read through the following documents to fully understand the requirements for the call before applying. Late and incomplete applications will not be accepted.

1. Social Accountability Reporting Explained
2. Adjudication Criteria

Applicants should fill in the application form here >> https://forms.gle/RBEsJ1nu8vmKnfUd6

BACKGROUND OF THE PSA ALLIANCE

The Partnership for Social Accountability (PSA) Alliance, through the project ‘Strengthening Social Accountability and Oversight in Health and Agriculture in Southern Africa,’ seeks to improve public service delivery in agriculture (food security), health (HIV/AIDS, sexual and reproductive health and rights) and public resource management. This is done through strengthening the oversight and social accountability roles of five target groups in the SADC region, specifically: selected parliamentary committees, relevant government departments, issue-based civil society organisations (CSOs), smallholder farmer organisations, and the media.

With support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the project focuses on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The PSA Alliance is a consortium of organisations led by ActionAid International (AAI) and including the Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM) of Rhodes University, Eastern and Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers’ Forum (ESAFF) and SAfAIDS.

[i] Social accountability is the broad range of actions and mechanisms beyond voting that citizens can use to hold the state to account. It is accountability that relies on civic engagement, namely a situation whereby ordinary citizens and/or civil society organizations participate directly or indirectly in exacting accountability. It is the right of citizens to demand explanations & justifications for the way public resources are spent, and demand corrective action where necessary.

How to Report and Write About Digital Health

by Amm Admin | Mar 29, 2021 | Blog

By Artur Olesch, Digital Health Journalist

Telemedicine, telecare, and mobile health apps have recently gained momentum, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and novel healthcare challenges. When preparing content on emerging technologies, it is fundamental to understand their context, impact on the healthcare ecosystem, benefits, and threats.

Digital health or e-health?

The term “digital health” describes the digital solutions aiming to improve individuals’ health and well-being, decision-making, effectiveness, access to information, communication standards, management, and policy-making. Following the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) definition (updated in March 2020), “digital health connects and empowers people and populations to manage health and wellness, augmented by accessible and supportive provider teams working within flexible, integrated, interoperable and digitally-enabled care environments that strategically leverage digital tools, technologies and services to transform care delivery.”[1]

Digital health emerged from “health IT” (used mostly for electronic health records, IT systems in the hospitals) and “e-health” (defined as “the use of information and communications technology in support of health and health-related fields”). Hence, digital health doesn’t focus on technology anymore but on transforming healthcare using digital technologies.

The place of digital health in the current and future care landscape has been comprehensively explained in “Digital Health: A Framework for Healthcare Transformation”[2] published by HIMSS.

Why is digital health important now?

Healthcare is facing enormous challenges: aging societies, a rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), health inequalities, medical errors, growing patient expectations, a shortage of healthcare professionals, the inefficient use of resources, and global pandemics like COVID-19. As a result, healthcare spending and the gap between the demand and supply of healthcare services are rising continuously.

Digital health technologies are seen as enablers for more sustainable, efficient, personalized, patient-centered, and precise healthcare.

In recent years, World Health Organization (WHO) recognized the potential of digital health in supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and Universal Health Coverage (UHC). To enable countries worldwide to plan, adopt, and benefit from technologies, the WHO has released recommendations on digital interventions for health system strengthening[3] and a global strategy on digital health 2020–2050.[4]

Identifying the benefits of new technologies

Digital health is hugely popular. Some argue it will help to address the abovementioned healthcare challenges. Although many scientific papers have been published recently on the topic, the positive impact of digital solutions for disease prevention, quality of care, and the treatment of some diseases is still understudied. Enthusiasm toward digital health technologies is also fueled by startups developing innovative solutions.

Especially when reporting on recent innovations, a double-check and verification of scientific facts is a must. The case study of a medical startup, Theranos, illustrates that relying on data available on the Internet might be insufficient (a revolutionary blood-testing technology turned to be a fraud[5]). Since digital health is a relatively new field, finding a reliable source requires in-depth research.

Papers exploring the benefits of digital applications in specific medical fields might be found in high-profile scientific journals (Nature, Science, The Lancet, JAMA, The BMJ). For journalistic objectivity, potential hazards – if they exist – should also be addressed. The most common ones are data privacy, unethical data processing, and cybersecurity threats.

Understanding the ecosystem

When writing about a particular technology, it is advisable to consider its impact on all healthcare system levels to capture its opportunities and limitations. A helpful tool is a healthcare stack analysis that includes: technology (what added-value does it offer?), the user (the target group, individuals or organizations), workflow (how does it fit the present procedures and organization structures?), and the healthcare system. The implementation of technology must consider the regulatory framework (national and international law and unwritten rules), healthcare standards, reimbursement system, existing infrastructure, culture, and trust toward new technologies. Every healthcare system is a complex and regulated ecosystem with many stakeholders representing different interests.

Distinguishing between well-being and medical technologies 

At the beginning of 2021, there were over 400,000 health apps on the market. Health and well-being-related features are embedded in smartphones (e.g. activity and sleep tracking) and wearable technologies (e.g. smartwatches, fitness bands). Miniaturized sensors measure health parameters and monitor behavior to assist the users in navigating their own health. A few of them are already medical devices (recognized by the CE mark in Europe, FDA clearance in the USA, approval by CFDA in China), but most of them are well-being solutions. A rising number of digital technologies include Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning algorithms. Their application remains still unregulated, but, for example, they should follow ethical guidelines that are vital for gaining trust.

Some solutions, like telecare systems, do not require medical certifications. However, they should be consistent with data protection regulations (e.g. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)[6] in Europe and The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)[7] in the USA). On the contrary, telemedicine solutions must be compliant with relevant regulations if they include measurement of health parameters (blood pressure, pulse, body temperature).

Data sources and local perspective

There are many reliable international knowledge sources regarding digital health, with Lancet Digital Health and HIMSS media at the forefront. Due to different healthcare system models (private or public health insurance), journalists should also verify if the technology can be deployed in a particular national and regional ecosystem. One guiding principle should not be forgotten: it is the patient who must benefit most from the digital solutions. Therefore their opinions should also be included in the media coverage.

Storytelling in digital health

The biggest challenge today is not developing technology but its adoption in the healthcare market. It requires new digital skills of healthcare professionals and citizens, reinvented reimbursement models, and – most of all – cultural change or change management toward prevention-oriented and personalized healthcare. Finally, in digitalization, the essential part is a human factor: trust toward new technologies.

Key recommendations

• Avoid generalized benefits but focus on what the technology can deliver;
• Minimize use of the buzz words like “democratization of healthcare,” “digital revolution,” and “disruptive technologies”;
• Do not stereotype or bring up generalized threats, for example, concerns about data safety if there are no convincing arguments;
• Examine the impact of the technology on every layer of healthcare systems and different stakeholders (patient, healthcare professionals);
• Focus on the transformational power of the solution, not the solution itself;
• Check if the technology is compliant with the regulatory framework, data protection regulations, and local healthcare system goals and challenges;
• Check if the solution does not increase healthcare inequalities (price, availability for different patient groups);
• Follow the “patients included” principle. When collecting opinions, ask the patients or patients’ representatives about their perspectives;
• Highlight the problem in healthcare that the digital solution addresses;
• Be aware of vanity metrics that describe the uptake of technologies (number of downloads, users, etc.) which can be misleading;
• Raise awareness toward challenges like interoperability, access to technologies, digital literacy skills, and infrastructure.

[1] https://www.himss.org/news/himss-defines-digital-health-global-healthcare-industry

[2] https://www.himss.org/resources/digital-health-framework-healthcare-transformation-white-paper

[3] https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/311941/9789241550505-eng.pdf?ua=1

[4] https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/documents/gs4dhdaa2a9f352b0445bafbc79ca799dce4d_02adc66d-800b-4eb5-82d4-f0bc778a5a2c.pdf?sfvrsn=f112ede5_68

[5] https://www.businessinsider.de/international/theranos-founder-ceo-elizabeth-holmes-life-story-bio-2018-4/?r=US&IR=T

[6] https://gdpr.eu

[7] https://www.hhs.gov

Rebuilding trust and credibility in the media

by Amm Admin | Dec 4, 2020 | Blog

Highway Africa (HA), the continent’s biggest media conference run by the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University, held its third webinar, entitled “Building Trust Practicing Credibility: A Journalism Challenge,” on 14 October.

This webinar looked at the credibility of the media’s news content and the role audience trust plays in the economic and financial fortunes and misfortunes of media houses. It formed part of the “Our Futures, Our New Normals” webinar series that seek practical solutions to challenges that face African media and journalism in the era of Covid-19 and how to explore and exploit emerging opportunities.

Speaking at this event, Anya Schiffrin, from the International & Public Affairs School, Columbia University, noted that that there has been a renewed interest in trust and credibility within the media post-2016 after Donald Trump came into power in the United States.

Schiffrin also pointed out that the latest 2020 Reuters Digital News Report indicates that media trust is currently rising. “What we have seen since Covid-19 is a vast increase in consumption of news, and people are turning back to reliable sources for information about the virus,” Schiffrin said.

Two editors on the frontline of dealing with trust and credibility within the media, Bakari Machumu, Executive Director of Mwananchi Communications based in Tanzania, and Nathan Geffen, Editor for GroundUp, South Africa, joined Schiffrin as panelists in this webinar.

Machumu noted that their media company is guided by editorial policies, a working governing body, and editorial committee that oversee the newsroom and trust and credibility issues.

Machumu further noted that over the years, they had made their editorial policies public to let the public aware and judge the media company on their performance

Geffen stated that they have stringent editing, fact-checking, and peer review processes in their news agency to minimize the trust-breaking errors.

Geffen further said: “We have to try and put aside our preconceived ideas and notions and try and be as fair as possible to all parties no matter what we might personally think of them.”

In his closing remarks, Bakari emphasized the need to collaborate as an industry and different players in the sector, those in the newsroom, the regulators, and other stakeholders. He called for more research to help understand the challenges the media in Africa are facing.

The webinar was hosted by Professor Anthea Garman, the Acting Head of the School of Journalism and Media Studies, and Francis Mdlongwa, the Director of Rhodes University’s Sol Plaatje Institute (SPI) for Media Leadership and the Acting Director of Highway Africa.

Highway Africa has usually run annual conferences focused on developments of the continent’s journalism and media and are attended by hundreds of African journalists.

There will be no conference in 2020 because of Covid-19, but a virtual Highway Africa summit conference is planned for June 2021.

Webinar underscores need for media partnerships

by Amm Admin | Aug 15, 2020 | Blog

Makhanda (Grahamstown), South Africa — Highway Africa (HA), the largest conference for African journalists on the continent, hosted its second webinar entitled “Journalists, Scientists, Whistle-blowers, Governments: Who are The Truth-Tellers” on August 5.

This session was part of a series of Highway Africa webinars, hosted by the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University, that seeks practical solutions to challenges faced by African media and journalism in the era of Covid-19.

In this second webinar, four media experts from across the African continent discussed how to navigate the rocky terrain of deciding who to trust amongst journalists, scientists, governments and whistle-blowers in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Teldah Mawarire, a project director at Internews shared worrying findings from a recent Internews research project that examines freedom of expression for journalists across Southern Africa in the Covid-19 era. She noted that “some of the laws which are meant to respond to Covid-19 are infringing and curtailing on freedom of expression”. The research shows that laws prohibiting disinformation and carrying large financial penalties are leading to self-censorship among journalists across the region. It also reveals that some countries in the region have pronounced government sources to be the only legitimate sources for Covid-19 reporting. This has crippled investigative journalism and has made it nearly impossible to report independently on infection numbers and Covid-19’s impact on communities and hospitals in Southern Africa.

Mawarire also highlighted the acute lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for Southern African journalists and the severe financial pressures affecting print media sustainability in the region. The Internews report focused on seven Southern African countries which include: Zimbabwe, Zambia, Eswatini, Lesotho, South Africa, Botswana and  Malawi. It will be released on the Internews website (https://internews.org/) in the next few weeks.

Mawarire shared the platform with Mia Malan, the founding editor-in-chief of Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism, a pioneering, donor-funded health media start-up in South Africa; as well as Dr Laeed Zaghlami, a professor in the faculty of Information and Communication at Algiers University in Algeria.

Malan reflected on the difference in reporting between two different pandemics, that of HIV/Aids, and the current Covid-19 pandemic. She noted that in the case of HIV/Aids there were better opportunities to report on studies as the epidemic was slower-paced than Covid-19.

Malan explained that the pandemic has revealed the importance for all journalists, not just science journalists, to understand the process of scientific research and publication. Such knowledge can help journalists realise how to make sense of untested information that is regularly circulated online in the form of prepublication drafts. These drafts facilitate the rapid circulation of scientific ideas when urgent solutions are needed to save lives, but also need to be treated with some scepticism. An overview of prepublication drafts reveal numerous discrepancies in Covid-19 studies and such research often  has to be retracted later or adjusted after peer review. Journalists need to understand the difference between pre-publication drafts and peer-reviewed articles and should only rely on peer-reviewed publications in their reporting.

“There are a few rules to be followed. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. When you get fast-tracked research, you need to raise your eyebrows. When you see a scientist speaking outside of their field of expertise, then question their credibility and ask questions”, Malan warned.

Zaghlami echoed Malan’s sentiments on the importance of checking the credibility of both information and sources. He noted that in Algeria there has been a massive increase in social media usage over the past year, particularly of Facebook and YouTube. This has resulted in the rise of conspiracy theories, as well as controversial and fake news, especially around Covid-19.

The webinar was moderated by Dr Alette Schoon, a senior lecturer at the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University, and Julian Jacobs, a PhD candidate at the school, who has worked in the area of science/health communications for more than 15 years.

Malan called for partnerships between the media, civil society organisations, scientists, governments and epidemiologists to collaborate around media solutions for addressing the Covid-19 pandemic. She remarked that small media start-ups focusing on health were ironically better suited to survive the current economic challenges than many large media organisations, particularly print publications.

Highway Africa, established more than two decades ago, has developed a reputation as the conference that engages with the most important issues facing media practitioners in Africa. While there will be no face-to-face conference in 2020 because of Covid-19, planning is underway for a Highway Africa summit conference for June 2021.