Penplusbytes Holds Future Journalists Project 2014 On News Innovations

Prez. Penplusbytes, K. Ahiabenu II

ACCRA, GHANA–  THE 2014 edition of an annual journalism mentoring programme, designed by the International Institute of ICT Journalism– Penplusbytes to provide professional nurturing opportunity to Journalism and Communication students, is slated for Wednesday, October 8th, 2014 at the New Media Hub, Osu- Accra.

Dubbed the “Future Journalism Project”, this year’s event focuses on exploring technologically efficient ways of propagating news information in a largely digitizing world. Penplusbytes has instituted the “The Future of News Competition”, which will be preceded by a half-day workshop on the central theme of “News Innovations”.

The workshop is to help expose the need in pushing beyond the imaginary boundaries of news dissemination by boosting the capacities of participants to identify and better appreciate the gains existing in leveraging the rather increasing technology avenues such as social media tools in the news generation process.

Participating in the one day event are 11 invited Communication and Journalism schools that are be expected to come out with innovative ideas for publishing news. Each school is expected to be represented by a three-member team which will make a case for their various innovations through a presentation to a panel of judges after which the winner will be rewarded with a cash prize of GHȼ 2000.00 and a certificate.

“This is a unique platform for our would-be communicators and journalists, affording them the chance to shape the future of journalistic excellence by bringing to bear their ideas of news innovations and showcasing diversity in strategy for news dissemination in our new digital age with a chance of being rewarded and this is exactly what Penplusbytes stands for; excellence”, said President of Penplusbytes, Kwami Ahiabenu II.

A mentorship mechanism is in place to ensure that participating students will, ahead of the competition, receive continuous assistance and tutelage from astute practitioners on their various innovative works for the competition after which winners will be rewarded with cash prizes and certificates.

Penplusbytes is a leading pan-African, not-for-profit organization, that seeks to empower the media through the use of Information Communication and Technologies to promote high quality journalism while at the same time working in good governance and technology, new media and innovations, as well as oil, gas and mining.