• FAAPA met in Gabon to address media violations and journalistic responsibility
• Delegates stressed media’s role in combating misinformation and driving progress
• Meeting highlights efforts to professionalize African news amid digital challenges
  

The 10th Executive Council meeting of the Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA) took place in Libreville, Gabon, on November 12 and 13. Delegates focused on the theme “Media Violations and Journalists’ Responsibility.”

The gathering brought together representatives from national news agencies across the continent, along with senior Gabonese officials, including Vice President Alexandre Barro Chambrier and Minister of Communication and Media Paul Marie Gondjout.

“These meetings demonstrate the vitality of our federation,” FAAPA President Fouad Arif said at the opening session. “They reflect our commitment to sharing our experiences and pursuing common goals.”

Ghislain Ruffin Etoughet Nzue, Director General of the Agence Gabonaise de Presse (AGP), noted the symbolic importance of hosting the meeting a decade after FAAPA’s creation in Rabat. He said the choice of Libreville reaffirms Gabon’s engagement in the pan-African news network. Nzue added that “African media are no longer just observers; they are agents of change and drivers of progress.”

The meeting forms part of broader efforts to strengthen and professionalize African news agencies at a time when misinformation and editorial lapses are weakening public trust.

The urgency is clear. The 2024 African Youth Survey by the Ichikowitz Foundation found that nearly two-thirds of young Africans spend more than three hours a day on their phones, and roughly 22 percent say they encounter misinformation at least once daily. FAAPA’s discussions seek to safeguard the credibility and integrity of professional journalism in this increasingly volatile digital environment.

Félicien Houindo Lokossou