Shaun Benton
5 June 2007
While countries benefit from criticism in the press, reporters also have the responsibility to get first-hand accounts of events taking place around the continent, and to produce accurate and balanced news coverage, says South African President Thabo Mbeki.
Mbeki was addressing representatives of the global newspaper industry at the 60th World Association of Newspapers (WAN) Congress in Cape Town's International Convention Centre this week.
Mbeki was following on an earlier address by WAN President Gavin O'Reilly, who said the absence of press freedom in many African countries was inhibiting development on the continent and depriving millions of Africans of their rights.
Speaking after a video presentation that detailed attacks on journalists and press freedom on all continents, Mbeki said: "Our continent has not escaped the effects of the tussle between media freedom and governance.
"There are some countries on our continent where journalists are in prison, and this is worrying for all of us. African media workers and editors have been complaining about this, as has the African Union Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression in her reports," he added.
Mbeki urged members of the media to "perfect their craft" through more in-depth writing and research, and asked newspaper publishers to act to retain skilled and experienced practitioners within the profession.
He said that efforts were under way between the African Union and the African Editors Forum to declare a year of African media freedom, in order to raise public awareness about the important role the media played in development.
"There are also plans," he said, "for an annual day for media freedom as well as opening lines of communications between the political leadership and editors."
Mbeki said there was a possibility that the first debate between the presidents of five African countries and five news editors could take place during the African Union summit in Accra, Ghana in late June.
"We in Africa can and do benefit from criticism, but we do ask that it should be based on accurate information and should be properly contextualised," he said.
Source: BuaNews
