- As Al Jazeera America plans to shut down cable news channel
The inaugural edition of a continent wide forum for maritime journalists, content owners and publishers based in Africa, tagged Africa Maritime Journalists Conference (AMJOC), will hold this January in Accra, Ghana’s capital city.
The conference with a theme: “Building Effective Communication Infrastructure for Africa’s Blue Economy, is slated to take place on the 29 and 30 January 2016, at the Coconut Groove Regency Hotel.
Aside members of the maritime media fraternity, other participants expected at the two day event are maritime industry corporate communication and information officers, advocacy groups, trade and professional associations, non-governmental and civil society groups etc.
A chieftain of the organizing committee, Mr. Lanre Badmus told the Maritime First that some of the Special Guest of Honour is Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Transport, Hon. (Mrs) Joyce Bawah Mogtari, who would give a Keynote Address on “Maritime Media as Vessel for Africa’s Economic Transformation” at the Opening Ceremony.
When some of the invited speakers include Mr Magnus Teye Addico – former Secretary General of the Maritime Organisation of West and Central Africa (MOWCA); Mr Micheal Luguje – Secretary General of Pan African Ports Co-operation (PAPC); Capt. Arian Turkson – former Rector of the Regional Maritime University-Ghana; Barrister Hassan Bello – Executive Secretary/CEO of Nigerian Shippers Council, and Capt. Dallas Laryea – Head of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Office for Anglophone West Africa.
Others are Barrister (Mrs) Nancy Karigithu – Principal Secretary, Maritime Commerce – Kenya Ministry of Transport; Mr Richard Anamoo – Director General of Ghana Ports and Habours Authority; Commander Tsietsi Mokhele – CEO of South African Maritime Safety Agency; Revd (Dr) Peter I. Azuma – Director General of Ghana Maritime Authority; and Mr George Sunguh, Editor PMAESA Our Port Magazine.
“AMJOC is conceived as an annual capacity building platform for maritime media executives in the continent, to strengthen professionalism and promote best practices in the delivery of maritime news across Africa and to the world”, Mr. Lanre Badmus, explained, noting that, the conference aim is to set agenda and encourage peer review by maritime institutions in Africa; support research and information exchanges among maritime media practitioners; advocate solidarity and goodwill between the media and all segments of the maritime industry.
Papers to be discussed would include “Maritime Policy Development and its Impact on Africa’s Economy”; “Africa’s Blue Economy and Contemporary Maritime Media”; “Capacity Building and Institutional Support for Maritime Media in Africa”; “Maritime Domain Awareness – Role of the Media”; “Effective Media to Business Relations in the Maritime Industry: Methods and Tactics”; and “Ethics and Professionalism in Maritime Media Practice”.
In the meantime, Al Jazeera America will shut down its cable news channel despite spending heavily to break into the US market.
CEO Al Anstey said the business model “is simply not sustainable in light of the economic challenges”.
Al Jazeera America launched in 2013 vowing to be a more serious and in-depth alternative to CNN and Fox News.
The Qatar-based broadcaster spent millions of dollars hiring top US journalists but struggled to bring viewers to its news programmes.
Al Jazeera promised to expand its coverage of the US online after the channel shuts down in April.
The network replaced Current TV, a network founded by former US Vice President Al Gore.
The Qatar-based broadcaster bought Current TV for around $500 million (£308 million).
Al Jazeera America was available in about 60 million American homes. Politiconotes that the channel reached an average of 19,000 viewers each day in 2015, far fewer than its competitors.
The channel struggled with internal turmoil, as well, including multiple discrimination lawsuits that ended up ousting its founding CEO.
Additional report from BBC
