Media development action with informed and engaged societies

After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. 

Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future. 

On the transfer, co-founder Victoria Martin expressed her pleasure to see this work continue under Wits' leadership, knowing that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction. 

As Wits, we honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades and look forward building from that strong base. This includes co-founders Warren Feek (1953-2024) and Victoria Martin as well as La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA), which continues independently at lainiciativadecomunicacion.com with links to The CI Global site. We are also eager to forge new partnerships and entertain new ideas as we consider how best to contribute to social and behaviour change in our rapidly evolving environment.

If you are joining the International Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Summit in Panama, please join Wits and CILA on Monday, 22 June, to share your thoughts and suggestion for the relaunch of the Communication Initiative. We will be in Pacifica 5 from 12-1:25 for the Refuel, Reflect, and Renew Lunch Series: The Communication Initiative: celebrating a driving force for Communication for Social Change and the way forward. We will reflect on the legacy of Warren Feek and family in creating the Communication Initiative, consider the contributions of CI over the years and then turn our attention towards the future in this dynamic session. 

If you are unable to join us in Panama, we still want to hear from you. Please contribute your thoughts by following this link: https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026 or reaching out to ci_surveys@commint.com

You can also follow the QR Code:

 https://redcap.link/CommunicationInitiative2026

Time to read
1 minute
Read so far

Live From Africa: A Handbook for African Radio Journalists

1 comment
Image
SummaryText
This handbook, published by the Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR), is a practical, hands-on manual designed to help local journalists in societies undergoing major crisis and change. In particular, it is written for radio journalists working in Africa. According to the IWPR, "Africa is, in terms of development, now the most important region in the world - and, in terms of audience reach, radio is by far the most important mass medium in Africa." Its objective is to support journalists to achieve high international standards of accuracy, objectivity and impartiality.

The handbook outlines the core internationally recognised standards of journalism and provides essential guidance on many of the basic techniques of reporting. It reviews reporting on general, political, and human rights issues. It has sections on location recording and computer-based audio editing. It provides guidance on safety and security and on sensitive reporting in conflict areas, as well as on libel issues. Developed out of the radio journalism workshops that were run as part of IWPR’s Uganda Radio Network project, the handbook also reviews the particular requirements for reporting for IWPR.

Each chapter provides exercises, discussion sections and further references. The handbook can be used either on its own or in coordination with an international trainer.

The contents include:

  • Why be a journalist?
  • International standards
  • What makes news and how is it reported on radio
  • Story sourcing
  • Building the story
  • Interviewing
  • Writing for radio
  • Voicing and presentation
  • Programming
  • Introduction to libel
  • Election Reporting
  • Human rights and journalism
  • Journalist safety
  • Reporting for IWPR
  • Field recording techniques
  • Introduction to digital editing
  • Appendix 1 - glossary of radio terms
  • Appendix 2 - International News Safety Institute safety code
  • Appendix 3 - the I-River MP3 player/recorder
Publication Date
Languages

English

Number of Pages

121

Source

IWPR website on July 28 2006.

Teaser Image
http://www.comminit.com/files/africa_book.jpg

Comments

User Image
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 10/11/2006 - 19:06 Permalink

great well done