With the rapidly changing face of media platforms audio creation, content and consumption are enjoying renewed attention, Radio Days Africa (RDA) returns to the digital arena in 2021 to promote the conversation around radio’s role in the audio revolution. 

RDA is presented by the Wits Radio Academy, under the auspices of the Department of Journalism at the University of the Witwatersrand and is the largest radio conference in Africa.

Now in its 12th year, Radio Days Africa has become a key event for radio practitioners across the continent, offering informative sessions to a variety of industry sectors – including public, commercial, community, digital spaces, advertising, marketing, news, content, on-demand and technical.

This year’s theme is “Audio Amplified”. Speakers from across the globe will focus on the growth of audio consumption in a multi-platform environment – exploring radio’s role in a world of stand-alone audio platforms, podcasts, curated music offerings and bespoke audio content.

#RDA2021 will take place over 10 days, starting on 5 July, with two sessions daily at 10h00 and 14h00.

Wits Journalism’s popular skills courses have been reconfigured in the light of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. Usually offered in a block-release format (two weeks full-time) during the mid-year break, they will now be offered on a blended basis.

This means that courses covering fields like TV/Video Journalism, Online Journalism and Radio Journalism will run through both online and face-to-face activities. The pattern was used successfully in 2020, and is being used again this year.  Face-to-face classes are only held to the extent allowed by national and university regulations, and with full Covid precautions in place.

The radio/audio journalism course starts on July 5, while the TV/Video Journalism course starts on July 19. The Online Journalism course will begin on September 20.

Apply soon as space is limited!

During this particular conversation on financing, the Jamlab Meetup organisers would like to learn more on funding strategies for civic tech and media innovation, and how organisations seeking grant funding or support from contemporary funders in general can better position and prepare themselves.

Organisers want to learn from philanthropy, corporate organisations, government as well as startups on what are interesting models and approaches for how innovators can fund and sustain their ideas or platforms.

When: Thursday, 24 June 2021 | Time: 12:00 CAT

The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ) will be launching the latest Digital News Report 2021 later this month. The report is the most comprehensive piece of research on news consumption worldwide. This year’s report includes six new countries: India, Indonesia, Thailand, Nigeria, Colombia and Peru.

The report examines how the coronavirus pandemic is transforming the news industry, how news audiences gauge crucial issues such as the debate around impartiality, and the rise of more visual social networks like TikTok and Instagram. It also explores the rise of reader revenue models, the role of trust and misinformation, and the way female, younger and more partisan audiences perceive how the news media cover them.

Jamlab, together with the RISJ will host a special Jamlab Meetup focusing on Africa and delve into what the findings from the report means for the news market in our region.

When: Thursday, 1 July 2021 | Time: 12:00 CAT

Eric Olander (Managing Editor, China Africa Project) will be joined by four African journalists: Lilian Mukoche (Kenya), Justice Nwafor (Nigeria); Isidore Abah (Cameroon), and Nina Mitch (DRC) to discuss their recent Covid-19 reporting and how the pandemic has affected Africa-China relations.

When: Wednesday, 14 July 2021 | Time: 12:00 CAT