At the origin of the press house initiative, which the IFJ started in 1995 was the idea to reinforce national media institutions through structural assistance. In many African countries the media profession is fragmented (between state and private media, between institutions and personalities within the private media sector) and weakly organised. Direct financial aid to individual TV, radio stations or newspapers only helps a few individual media but not the profession as a whole. Herefore the creation of press houses was seen as a way to bring together all relevant organisations representing media professionals and in this way to promote solidarity among them. The press houses are open to all journalists and provide facilities to media, professional organisations and media NGOs.
On the practical side the press houses serve as meeting points for journalists and other media professionals where they can have access to meeting places, receive logistical support such as fax, telephone, computer room including access to the internet. The press houses have set up small documentation libraries.
The IFJ is currently supporting the development of press houses in Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Togo and Tanzania. All four press houses have to elaborate plans of how to become self-sufficient once the funding runs out. The programme also promotes the cooperation between the selected four press houses.
CONTACT DETAILS FOR THE PRESS HOUSES:
Burkina Faso - Centre national de presse Norbert Zongo
Contact person: Abdoulaye Diallo
Address: 04 BP 8524 Ouagadougou 04
226 Ouagadougou
Burkina Faso
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: 00 226 34 37 45
Fax: 00 226 34 37 45
The Gambia Press House
Contact person: Demba Jawo
Address: 78 Mosque Road, Serekunda P. O. Box 1440, Banjul, The Gambia
Tel/fax: (220) 377020
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel : +220 497 945
Fax : +220 497 946
Tanzania Press Centre
Contact person: Sammy Makilla
Address: House Plot NO: 48/477
PO BOX 33772
Kijitonyama, Shekilango Road
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
E-mail: [email protected]
Fax: 255 22 2150987
Mobile: 255 741 470742
Togo - Maison du Journalisme
Contact person: Honore Tchalim Blao
Address: PO Box 81 213
Lomé - Togo
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: +228 26 13 00/26 13 70
Fax: +228 26 13 70
