2024-04-27 02:36:06
Speaking at the opening of the 7th General Assembly of the FAAPA which is being held under the theme “African information: a major sovereignty issue”, Ms. Barry Sana highlighted the essential role of press agencies, and more particularly of the FAAPA, in the advancement of development initiatives in the Sahelo-Atlantic zone, like the Initiative launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, aimed at promoting common development and south-south cooperation within of the Sahelo-Atlantic region.
In this sense, she noted that the discussions during this General Assembly will be focused on the promotion of information cooperation and the preservation of the media sovereignty of the countries of the continent along the Atlantic coast, maintaining that “Africa, with its diversity and richness, must position itself at the heart of the narrative of its own destiny”.
The discussions during this General Assembly, enriched by the diversity of experiences and expertise, will contribute to making active this notion of continental solidarity and reinforced and shared sovereignty, said the first vice-president of the FAAPA.
She further indicated that the FAAPA, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary next October, is today one of the largest professional groups, which has established itself as a leader and aggregator of African news, with an abundance of editorial content and photos, distributed by the various African press agencies through their websites and the Federation portal.
Ms. Barry Sana, on the other hand, observed that the various activities and actions undertaken by the FAAPA have strongly contributed to developing the structures of the Federation and to consolidating professional relations between African press agencies within the framework of a fruitful South-South cooperation.
In this context, she continued, the leaders of press agencies will have to demonstrate personal involvement to maintain and consolidate this institution, prioritizing the achievement of its objectives and the strengthening of cooperation and partnership relations. between its members.
For her part, Ms. Olga Rachelle Mangouandza, 2nd Vice-President of FAAPA, Central Director of the Congolese Information Agency (ACI), affirmed that free, transparent, balanced, reliable, verifiable and disseminated information in all independence, by well-trained professionals, and in real time, will allow Africa to compete with international media.
“African information delivered by Africans themselves will allow the continent to be safe from cybercrime, to protect institutions and populations,” she insisted.
She noted that to fight or counter “fake news” or false information disseminated by social networks, or even more so by certain Western media, African leaders must trust the national press (radio, television, press agencies, press written and online press) by providing it with substantial resources that can enable it to align itself with New Information and Communication Technologies.
In order to achieve this noble mission, press agencies must equip themselves with the necessary tools, in the digital context, of websites, to fully play their role as information wholesalers, specified the second vice-president of the FAAPA .
And to note that to achieve significant results, press agencies must have a network of correspondents across the entire national territory and be at the forefront of current events.
“It is also about working towards the objective of making our agencies multimedia press organs,” she continued, citing the “very eloquent” example of the MAP in this regard.
2024-04-27 02:36:06