A simple guide to write about complex topics
Blogging, posting, sharing Afrisig
We hope this guide is useful to orientate you on how to generate content related to internet governance while you are participating at AfriSIG.
First of all, some tips on writing…
… a blog post
A blog post is where you get to be yourself – use more informal language, express opinions and challenge your readers. Blog posts pieces are usually quite short, but be warned! They are very lightly edited, if at all. If you want a blog piece to be spell- and grammar-checked, you need to ask APC’s editorial team.
Would you like to contribute a blog post to AfriSIG? Here are some guidelines:
- Size matters. Our blog posts tend to be relatively short (around 500 – 1000 words). We leave long pieces for essays, publications and more research-related reports.
- The blog is yours, but we can help. Blog posts are usually lightly edited, but if English is not your first language or you are not an experienced writer don’t let this stop you. Feel free to blog in French, Spanish or any other language, and if you choose to write in English and need some assistance, our editorial team will be pleased to help.
- Make it personal. Share your own insights, with your own voice. We want to hear about your experience!
- How to start. If you are blogging about a session, for example, share why you attended this session, or use a powerful image or memory to take us to the scene and set the tone.
- Be catchy. Choose a catchy title and first paragraph.
- Storytelling. You want to take us through this journey you’ve experienced, so feel free to share stories, examples, anecdotes…
- Consistent structure. Make sure paragraphs are well connected, transitions between one topic to the next work, etc.
- Multimedia. Images, videos, messages that complement/illustrate what you are sharing are usually enriching.
- Links: Add links to your sources, to relevant information, to additional resources…
- Conclusion. Finish with a powerful conclusion – it can be open, a cliffhanger, a nice recommendation or insight… Leave the reader eager for more.
Some previous AfriSIG blog posts for reference:
- Taking the internet gospel from Africa to the world, by Tomiwa Illori
- Making digital rights appealing with new media, by Olamide Egbayelo
- A tiny dot on the beach, by Michael Ilishebo
Now… some words on social media!
You can use any social media platform you’re comfortable with to partially share content from the School with your networks. APC has used Twitter-X (through apc_news and @afrisig accounts) as its main channel in past editions. You can also find us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Mastodon.
We encourage you to use the hashtags #AfriSIG and #AfriSIG2024 on your social media spaces. You’re welcome to use others, such as #AfricanInternetRights, #InternetGovernance or any other thematic hasthags.
You can share content in the language you are more comfortable in.
Be concerned with privacy. We recommend Chatam House Rules (participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed)
Videos and audios are great resources when you are doing an event coverage. You can record interviews or panels, and then decide how you want to use that material, depending on factors like the quality of the audio/video, the permissions you get from the people featured in them, and your capacity to edit the material.
Take a look at APC’s video gallery.
Please remember that this entails security and privacy issues (this includes taking screenshots of participants in a session), so make sure to ask for permission.
Have fun! We want you to enjoy this experience as much as possible.
Have a good School!!
One last word
Please contact the APC communications team at communications(at)apc.org to send us your articles, videos or any other materials, so we can publish them on the AfriSIG website and / or apc.org.