The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Independent’s Senior Reporter, Ronald Musoke, is among the 20 African media and content creator professionals who have been selected by the African Union to be a part of the 2023/24 AU Media Fellowship.
Musoke who is a multiple award-winning journalist and reports on a wide range of topical issues in Uganda, the East African Community and the continent will join 19 other fellows from 18 African countries in a year-long fellowship that will see the group advance Africa’s Agenda 2063 through story telling.
“This certainly tops the highlights of my journalism career. It’s hard to believe that I made the cut from a huge pile of 6,000 applications,” said Musoke. “Of course, this is an opportunity I am going to take with both hands. I hope to learn a lot about the African Union institutions and programmes. I am also excited about meeting, learning and sharing experiences with colleagues from the other 18 African countries.”
According to a statement published on Oct.12 by the African Union, the 20 fellows were selected from over 6,000 talented media professionals and content creators spanning the African continent and its Diaspora.
While welcoming the AU media fellows, Leslie Richer, the African Union Director for Information and Communication, said the AU is “immensely elated by the overwhelming enthusiasm and interest demonstrated by skilled media practitioners from every corner of Africa.”
“To the 2023 Media fellows, amidst a pool of remarkable talent, it was your unique skills, visionary ideas, and relentless passion that truly set you apart. We heartily applaud you for this achievement. This moment serves as a testament to the vibrancy and potential within Africa’s media landscape, ready to be harnessed and elevated to global prominence.”
The African Union Media Fellowship (AUMF) programme is designed to provide a unique platform for African journalists and content producers to enhance their capacity to reframe the African narrative and promote developmental journalism using new and emerging technologies.
The fellowship is in line with the 2017 resolution by the African Union Ministers of Communication and Information Communication Technologies (STC-CICT) a commitment to bolster media engagement as a potent tool to highlight the milestones of Agenda 2063.
The programme also resonates with the vision outlined in the AU Digital Transformation Strategy 2020-2030, underscoring the innovation propelled by ICT and emphasizing the adaptive shifts essential for Africa to realise its developmental goals.
Dr Tobias Thiel, the Country Director of the Deutsche Gesellschaft Für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Liaison Office to the African Union, said, “We are pleased to continue supporting the second cohort of the African Union Media Fellowship on behalf of Germany.
“The fellowship has been successful in empowering African media professionals – journalists and content creators – in their work, enhancing their skills and providing them a platform to cooperate and connect within the continent.”
“The new cohort will continue to benefit from the invaluable knowledge and experience of the fellowship as they shape the pan-African narrative,” Dr Thiel said.
Starting this October, the selected Fellows will experience an enriching study tour to South Africa. The tour is an immersion into a diverse range of networking sessions hosted by esteemed AU organs and specialized agencies, including the AU Pan-African Parliament, African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), and Africa Risk Capacity (ARC).
The Fellows will also engage with prominent South African institutions such as the South Africa Broadcasting Commission (SABC), the Department of Government Communication and Information Systems (GCIS), and Wits School of Journalism, the latter being the proud host of the 4th series of the AU Media Roundtable.
This illuminating journey will conclude with a Media Lab retreat facilitated by seasoned AU Media Fellowship Mentors and a Design Thinking Session delivered at the UCT Business School by D-Lab.
“We are dedicated to cultivating a space where African stories are not just told but are amplified on the global stage, reflecting the profound depth of talent, culture, and innovation that pulses through our continent,” stated Director Leslie Richer.
She added, “I look forward to seeing the outcomes of this Fellowship as a platform for promoting Africa’s Agenda 2063 and telling a balanced story about the realities of Africa’s development and the opportunities for promoting socio-economic solutions that are defined and driven by Africans and benefit Africans in the digital age.”
Full list of 2023-2024 AU Media Fellows
Adesewa Olofinko (Nigeria); Dámaso Nsue Eyang (Equatorial Guinea); David Casimir (Mauritius); Jacqueline Segahungu (Burundi); Jan Bornman (South Africa); Jibi Maring (South-Sudan); Joel Hevi (Togo); Keletso Thobega (Botswana); Maurice Thantan (Benin); Melissa Lemos (Mozambique); Meriyem Kokaina (Morocco); Moetasm Mohamed (Egypt); Mohamed Mohamud (Somalia); Nobantu Modise (South Africa); Prince Sankanu (Gambia); Ronald Musoke (Uganda); Tuyeimo Haidula (Namibia); Wakini Njogu (Kenya); William Kumwembe (Malawi); Yasmine Bouldjedri (Algeria).
