Programme

Time slot

Activity

Speaker and chair

08:45 am – 08:55 am

Welcome address 

Mr Francis Mdlongwa, Highway Africa Director and
Head of the Sol Plaatje Institute for Media Leadership, School of Journalism and Media Studies,
Rhodes University, South Africa.

08:55 am – 09:15 am

Opening of the
conference. 

Dr Sizwe Mabizela,Vice-Chancellor, Rhodes University

09.15 am – 09.45 am

Prof. Zizi Papacharissi, Head of the Communication Department,
University of Illinois-Chicago, USA. Chaired by Prof. Anthea Garman, Head of the School of
Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa.

09:45 am – 10:30 am

Africa’s rising in the platform economy: A focus on creativity and
innovation: A conversation. 

Prof. Zizi Papacharissi, Head of the Communication Department,
University of Illinois-Chicago, USA and Prof. Tawana Kupe,
Journalism and Media Studies Professor and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Pretoria.
Chaired by Prof. Anthea Garman, Head of the School of
Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa.

10:30 am – 10:45 am.

Tea break

10: 30 am – 12.00 pm

First-hand testimonies of the impact of platformisation on African media. Panel discussion and Q & A

12.00 pm – 01.00 pm

Lunch Break

01.00 pm – 03:00 pm

Keynote – Global platformisation’s lessons and solutions: Do they work in  Africa?

Dr Anya Schiffrin, Director of the Technology, Media and Communication specialization at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, USA. Chaired by Mr Sbu Ngalwa, Chairperson of the South African National Editors’ Forum.  

03:00 pm-05:00 pm

Structured networking sessions

08:30 am – 10:00 am

Opening Keynote – Datafication of the media: Opportunities and threats.

Ms Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford University’s Cyber Policy Centre and International Policy Fellow at Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centred Artificial Intelligence, USA. Chaired by Dr Nathan Geffen, Editor-in-Chief of GroundUp, South Africa. 

10:00 am – 10:15 am. 

TEA BREAK

10:15 am – 11:45 am

Keynote – Harnessing Big Data by African media to improve journalism innovation.

Mr Adi Eyal, Data Investigations Lead at The Sentry, South
Africa. Chaired by Ms Nathalie Ndongo-Seh, UN’s Chief Resident Representative in Eswatini.

11:45 am – 12:30 pm

Social Accountability Data Journalism Reporting Awards.

Ms Julie Middleton, Consortium Project Manager of the Partnership for Social Accountability (PSA) and Action Aid International; and Mr Francis Mdongwa, Highway Africa Director and Director of the Sol Plaatje Institute for Media Leadership, School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa.

12:30 pm – 01:30 pm. 

LUNCH BREAK

01:30 pm – 03:00 pm

Big Tech and Data, Disinformation, Truth and Inertia – Panel discussion by:

Emeritus Prof. Guy Berger, Director for Policies and Strategies on Communication and Information at UNESCO; Prof. Cameren Peter from the Centre for Analytics and Social Change at UCT Business School, South Africa; and Dr Anya Schiffrin. Chaired by Khadija Patel, investigative journalist and freelancer, South Africa.

03:00 pm – 03:15 pm.

TEA BREAK

03:15 pm – 04:15 pm

Information Security and Journalism

Mr Daniel Cuthbert, Global Head of Security Research for Banco Santander; and Mr David Moepeng, Cyber Literacy Advocate and MA candidate in Cyberpsychology at Nottingham University, UK. Chaired by Dr Roukaya Kasenally, CEO, African Media Initiative (AMI) and Associate Professor in Media and Political Systems at the University of Mauritius.

04:15 pm – 04:30 pm

Closing remarks and introduction of the academic and research track by:

Prof. Anthea Garman, Head of the School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa.

04:30 pm-05:30 pm

Structured network sessions

ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH TRACK 

Theme: New news for new times

Journalism all over the world is in an existential crisis. But this profession has many champions who are deeply invested in the ongoing role that journalism plays in enlarging democracy, ensuring freedom of expression and safeguarding the right to information. On day three of this year’s Highway Africa conference we turn to how journalism could be reinvigorated as a renewed force for good in the world. This academic and research track within HA has an unashamedly future focus. We are asking researchers where we see the seeds of rebirth, reimagination and renewal.

09:00 am-09:15 am

Welcome

Prof Anthea Garman, Head of the School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa

09:15 am – 09:45 am

Keynote

Prof Francis Nyamnjoh, Professor in Social Anthropology at the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

09:45 am – 10:00 am

Q+A

Session 1: Emerging genres of journalism. Chaired by Dr Alette Schoon, Senior lecturer, School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa.

10:00 am – 10:20 am

New wine in old wineskins? Emerging genres of journalism and Africa and beyond.

Prof. Admire Mare, Associate Professor and Deputy Head in the Department of Communication, Namibia University of Science and Technology, Namibia.

10:20 am – 10:30 am

The future of journalism – it will be ONLY New Media, get used to it.

Ms Niki Moore

10:30 am – 10: 40 am

 Interpretive journalism as an emerging genre of citizen news discourse in Zimbabwe.

Dr Thulani Tshabangu

10:40 am – 11:00 am

Q+A

11:00 am – 11:15 am 

TEA BREAK

Session 2: Emerging shapes and scopes of news organisations and emerging work practices. Chaired by Mr Rod Amner, Senior Lecturer, School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa.

11:15 am -11:35 am

Journalism from the Margins (and from ‘Within’): Stretching Boundaries and Embracing Peripheral News Actors. 

Dr Hayes Mabweazara, FHEA Lecturer in Media, Communication and International Journalism (Sociology), School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland.

11:35 am -11:45 am

Keeping afloat and flowing with the tide? How emerging small-scale newspaper enterprises in Zimbabwe survive in an environment with biting economic challenges.  

Mr Leonard Makombe

11:45 am – 12:00 pm

Q & A

Session 3: Rethinking journalism curricula – Chaired by Dr Jeanne du Toit, Deputy Head of the School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa.

12:00 pm – 12:20 pm

Technological disruptions and the need for a new journalism curriculum

Prof Sarah Chiumbu, Associate Professor in the School of Communication at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

12:20 pm – 12:30 pm

COVID19 and learner-centred teaching: How the adoption of emergency blended learning pedagogies accelerated a change in teaching practice in higher education.

Ms Sisanda Nkoala

12:30 pm -12:40 pm

The Diaspora Experience in Distance Education in Journalism and Media Studies for African Universities

Prof Stanford Mukasa

12:40 pm – 12:50 pm

An environmental ethics curriculum for journalism students.

Ms Wiida Fourie-Basson

12:50 pm – 01:10 pm

Q+A

01:10 pm – 02:00 pm 

LUNCH BREAK

Session 4: Emerging business and revenue models – Chaired by Francis Mdlongwa, Director of Highway Africa and the Sol Plaatje Institute for Media Leadership, School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa.

02:00 pm – 02.20 pm

Institutional realignments, hybrid organisations and revenue models for journalism — global and local trends

Prof Harry Dugmore, Senior Lecturer in Communication at the University of the Sunshine Coast’s New Moreton Bay campus in Brisbane, Australia.

02.20 pm – 02.30 pm

Research on the Effectiveness of Social Media as a Tool for Opening Up Spaces for Women Leaders’ Participation in Zambia.

Dr Parkie Mbozi

02:30 pm – 02.50 pm

Session 5: Emerging media innovation and creativity – Chaired by Prof Anthea Garman, Head of the School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa.

02:50 pm – 03:10 pm

Doing data-driven journalism for the Mail and Guardian

Ms Athandiwe Saba, Data Desk Editor at the Mail and Guardian, South Africa

03:10 pm – 03.20 pm

Scrutinising South African media companies’ strategies for Generation Z’s news consumption.

Mr Lucky Brian Dlamini

03:20 – 03:40 pm

Q+A

03:40 pm

Closing remarks by Prof Anthea Garman, Head of the School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa.