Former Makerere University Head of Department for Journalism and Communications, Dr. William Tayeebwa will grace this year’s Social Media Conference as the keynote speaker, Campus Bee has learned.
The development comes after Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Uganda and South Sudan announced the 6th Edition of their flagship convening “The Uganda Social Media Conference”. The conference which brings together key stakeholders from government, civil society, academia, and the media for an exchange on the state and impact of social media on society is set to be held virtually on August 2021 on 25th – 26th, at Kampala Sheraton Hotel.
Announcing the launch of the conference, Mr. Nicholas Opolot the Conference Coordinator acknowledged that this year’s edition comes at a crucial time, in the middle of a pandemic and said that is the reason it was agreed to host it virtually. Mr. Opolot was sitting in for the KAS Country Director, Ms Anna Reismann.
“Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda, March 2020, Social Media has grown to become one of the major communication tools driving conversations about government policies, current affairs, activism, and interpersonal communication. This was evidenced in January 2021 where the different platforms were major tools used for mobilization and campaigning in the General elections since they happened at a time when crowds couldn’t gather physically due to the pandemic.” KAS said in a statement.
Themed “Digital Democracy in a Post Pandemic Era”, this year’s edition will be tracking some of the problems/challenges facing the internet, freedom of speech online to galvanize social media action and creating a platform for stakeholders to discuss development issues that come with social media. The conference will be highlighting how Social Media has facilitated citizen journalism, Elections in Africa, its impact on mental health among many other topics.
“A lot of social media users are concerned about how organizations use their personal data, for instance. Other people have battled mental health in this pandemic and it’s been a huge challenge for governments and societies. We will be discussing how people can strike a balance and have healthy discussions online.” Opolot said at the press conference.
The keynote speaker at the conference will be Dr. William Tayeebwa, a Senior Researcher and Lecturer at Makerere University’s Department of Journalism and Communications. He will address New Voices and Digital Media and what they mean for e-democracy online, Digital Politics and how governments, individuals can be harnessing open areas for free exchange of ideas.
Dr. Tayeebwa has taught at Makerere since 2000 and served as HoD for the Department of Journalism and Communication from 2014 to 2020. He holds a Ph.D. in Communication [Media, Peace and Conflict] from Concordia University, Montreal, Canada (2012); an MPhil in Media Studies [Environmental Journalism] from University of Oslo, Norway (2003); and a Bachelor of Mass Communication from Makerere University, Uganda (1999). He holds advanced Diplomas in Philosophy and French from Tanzania and France respectively.
In reference to the growing influence of social media, the conference will provide a unique platform for theorizing, dialoguing, and engaging on how the growing relevance of social media shapes our social and political interactions and changes the way we access and process information.
“With this conference, we aim to bring together academics, policy-makers, industry professionals, and civil society activists to discuss the role of social media in Africa and globally, mobile technology, big data, and digital innovation,” Anna Reismann KAS Country Director for Uganda said in a press statement. “The conference aims to promote the exchange of ideas, networking, and collaboration on the topics of citizen engagement, political campaigning, misinformation, political polarization, populism, e-government, smart cities, and other emerging topics,” she added.
Also key among the topics that will be covered at the conference will be how to tackle the emerging digital threats including extremism, trafficking, and Radicalization, the Gig economy which is currently a major source of income for unemployed youths in urban centres, and the crisis of state surveillance, digital privacy, and data protection. Internet shutdowns by African governments will also be a topic to be covered with a major focus on the recent occurrence in January during Uganda’s General elections and internet restrictions in Tanzania, also during their general elections.
The conference will be hosted in a virtual format with delegates required to sign up/register to attend online. The event will also be broadcast live on KAS Uganda’s social media’s channels and on television using the conference media partners. Visit socialmedia.ug for more.
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