Change negative image about Africa – Akufo-Addo to media
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stated that African
journalists have a duty to help change the image about Africa, and
establish a narrative, which is more positive.
According to President Akufo-Addo, African media practitioners have
faced many challenges, ranging from a highly polarised media
environment, lack of technological support, limited investment in the
sector, poorly paid journalists, threats to their lives, corruption, and
lack of requisite training.
These challenges, he said, have led to the African media, largely, shirking its responsibility in telling the African story.
“As a result, the narrative has been shaped and told by foreign
journalists through their own lenses and words. The projection of the
continent, as a result, has often been about war, disease, poverty and
famine,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo made this known on Monday, 13th November, 2017,
when he delivered a speech at the ongoing Bloomberg Africa Business
Media Innovators Summit, held at the Kempinski Hotel, Accra.
The President noted that the externally generated story of Africa
might be hard to take, but, so long as there is widespread poverty and
inequality, that will be the image that is going to be portrayed.
“This means that you, our writers, our journalists from the
continent, the writers of the African story, carry a great
responsibility. When you write, what you write, must be about the
limitless possibilities on the continent. What is written about Africa
by African writers must have the ultimate reference status,” he said.
African writers, the President stressed, played remarkable roles in
the liberation of the continent from imperialism, and, thereby, set the
tone for the discourse about the identity of Africans.
“It is now for you, our business and financial journalists, to set
the tone for the economic development and prosperity of Africa. When our
young people do not see a future in their countries, and cross the
Sahara desert on foot and drown in the Mediterranean Sea, in a desperate
bid to reach the mirage of a better life in Europe, no amount of
beautiful lyrics will change our image,” he bemoaned.
The President noted that when African economies grow and improve, and
its youth get educated and are self-confident and full of hope, “the
world finds its way to our doors, and the language and history of our
countries become attractive to our own and foreign universities.”
“When African economies improve and there is increasing prosperity,
we will find that more and more people will become interested to invest
in our continent, resulting in thriving economies, and the creation of
progressive and prosperous nations.”
President Akufo-Addo was confident that technological advancement
and innovations will help change the face of Africa’s media, and present
the continent with even more greater control to tell its own story.
“That is why the Bloomberg Media Initiative in Africa (BMI) is a
great initiative to help build the capacity of Africa’s media. This
programme, I am confident, will deepen the capacity of our media, and
equip them with the relevant skillset to tell the African story – the
story of potential triumph over adversity, economic successes over
failures, and initiatives that will lead to the sustainable development
of the continent,” he said.
Through their work, President Akufo-Addo urged financial and
business journalists on the continent to bring to the attention of
governments and decision-makers why the promotion of business-friendly
environments is important.
“They need to understand that the way to building that environment
is when government and regulatory policies enhance, rather than inhibit
or frustrate, trade, commerce and investments. Promoting the rule of law
by our governments assures and gives confidence to the investor
community that their investments would be safe.
When we master the narrative, we can, then, effectively tell the
story about the looting of Africa, and the huge amounts of illicit funds
that flow from our continent, funds which, if we are able to control,
would be available to finance the development of the continent,” he
added.
President Akufo-Addo applauded the Ghanaian media for being active
in tackling the social ills of the country, and advocating for the
investment that will contribute to the sustainable development of the
country.
“This generation of African media practitioners has to be the
generation that refuses to be either victim or pawn, and accepts to
travel down the path of genuine popular empowerment, which represents
the strongest guarantee of our independence and sovereignty. Freedom of
expression, encompassing media freedom, is a critical element of that
journey, which we must guard jealously at all times,” he added.
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