ADDIS ABABA- Addis Ababa University in collaboration with UNESCO has set up a youth newsroom at the African Union Headquarters ahead of the world press freedom day to be marked in Ethiopia from May 1-3, 2019. The newsroom comprising of students from Addis Ababa University, School of Journalism and Communication, Oregon Universityof America and Norway and senior BBC journalists and cartoonists will be producing digital magazine with different contents, said Asst.
Prof. Mekuria Mekasha, coordinator of the newsroom and a lecturer at Addis Ababa University School of Journalism and Communication. This will help create network among students of journalism and communication, and around 40 students will be participating in the preparation of the Youth Times magazine. This is on the sideline of the main event that will bring over 1,500 participants together from all over the world.
Researches in relation to safety of journalists, democracy and election and other thematic issues will be presented at the conference. It is the first time that Ethiopia is nominated to host the world press day now that the country has no jailed journalists and shown sign of improvements in press freedom.
This is huge progress and will portray a better image of the country in international arena, Mekuria added. According to the latest World Press Freedom Index published annually by Reporters without Borders since 2002, Ethiopia is ranked 110th out of 180 countries moving 40 places in the ranking last year.
The Ethiopian herald April26/2019
BY DESTA GEBREHIWOT
