Egypt hosts African Arab-speaking broadcasters

By Hashim Kalungi

Journalists from Arab-speaking African countries are meeting in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, for a three-week conference intended to strengthen relations between the host country and the other Arab-speaking countries.

The participants were mainly drawn from Mali, Chad, Eritrea, and Uganda. The conference, which began on January 19, will run until February 6, 2024, at the Training and Media Studies Center in Cairo.

According to Doaa Hazem, public relations officer at the supreme council of media regulation (SCMR), the conference will provide training for young media professionals from selected African countries.
“This conference serves as a meeting point for young media professionals from Africa to exchange international experiences,” Hazem said.

Rim Hendy, a member of the SCMR’s technical secretariat who represented the supreme council general secretary Yaser Ma’badi, expressed optimism that the conference would serve as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between Egypt and the visiting countries while facilitating a knowledge exchange among media professionals.

Highlighting the media’s crucial role in shaping awareness and representation, Hendy stressed, “The role of media in this information age cannot be overstated. From these training sessions, you will have the chance to develop your skills and acquire the knowledge necessary to tackle current media challenges. Media is not just a conduit for news; it is a powerful tool that can positively impact our societies, drive development, and contribute to building a bright future for Africa.”

Hendy also praised the efforts of the SCMR and the Media training center in organizing the event. She expressed optimism that participants would leave the conference with new and innovative tools and ideas to enhance their media performance across various fields.

“From the training sessions, you will have the opportunity to develop your skills and acquire the necessary knowledge to compete with the current media challenges we believe that the media is not just a transmission of news, but it is a powerful tool that we can use to have a positive impact on our societies and to enhance development and contribute to the construction of a bright future for Africa.” she said.