// 03.19.2009 at 4:30 pm //

Prof. Harry Dugmore on the power of citizen journalism

A well-known media figure, Professor Harry Dugmore (MTN Chair of Media and Mobile Communication at the Rhodes University School of Journalism and Media Studies) aims to change the nature of mobile communications, as “Africa’s future belongs to mobile [communications].”

As keynote speaker at the conference, the South African activist, communicator, strategist, entrepreneur and trainer, with a passion for development,  tackled the topic ‘Cellphones and Democracy in Africa’. He  focussed on elections, drawing examples from recent elections in Kenya, Ghana, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

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If you have problems watching this video, try the YouTube-Versions: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

See story link between politics, internet access for excerpts from the speech

“…we have seen throughout the world, including in Africa, newspapers for example rapidly becoming redundant and circulations falling very very fast… you are seeing more people accessing newspapers via laptops and cell phone because it is much more instant, much more rich (in a sense that you have many different perspectives) and it is much much cheaper than buying a newspaper,” says Dugmore.

“I’m a great believer in power of storytelling, in creating visual pictures in people’s minds as a basis for effecting personal behaviour,” he adds.

Listen to excerpts of the interview before the conference:

Also see story: Embrace Technology or else

Dugmore has authored and collated the bestselling book Nelson Mandela: A Life in Cartoons, featuring 170 drawings from 68 cartoonists around the world, in honour of President Mandela’s retirement in 1999.

Contact info:
Prof Harry Dugmore
P.O. Box 94 Wits Post Office 2050 South Africa
Tel: +27-11 726-8572
Cell: +27-82-885-7537
email: hardug@iafrica.com
Skype: harrydugmore

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// Tagged Speakers, Democracy in Africa, Harry Dugmore, MTN, Rhodes University