Embrace data, counter stereotypes on Africa, says Carlos Lopes to media leaders
View
Download
Published
2015-11Author(s)/Corporate Author (s)
United Nations. Economic Commission for Africa.;Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, Mr. Carlos Lopes has called on media leaders to counter stereotypes and perceptions about Africa, embrace the use of quality data and shift business models to play the role of provider of a public good. Addressing the annual African Media Leaders Forum in Johannesburg this week, Mr. Lopes said that a pessimistic narrative on Africa serves key investors as a means to dissuade competitors and extract deals with desperate locals. “It is not an exaggeration to say that some extractive industry activities are being paid to operate if one considers tax breaks, profit flying and illicit flows,” he said. Decrying the mainstream focus on conflict, he asked, “100 million Africans affected by conflict is indeed a lot. But what about the remaining 90%?”. He pointed out that compared to Asia, almost a third more people are killed by conflicts than in Africa. “There are more people killed in the conflicts of India alone, with Kashmir and the Naxalite insurgency, than in the whole of the Great Lakes. Speaking on the decline of profits in print media, he said, "with the advent of new media, traditional business models are under a great deal of stress, I hope we can agree on the need for economically viable business models that allow for independent thought, while serving the needs of the public.”