Aga
Khan Urges Investment in the Quality
of African
Journalism
and a respect for
Pluralism as a cornerstone of Peace and Progress
(Please
see related speech)
Nairobi, Kenya, 22 May, 2005 —
His Highness the Aga Khan, Imam (spiritual leader)
of the Ismaili Muslims and founder of the Aga Khan
Development Network (AKDN) today emphasised the importance
of both press freedom and excellence in journalism
in order to help build Africa’s future.
Speaking
at the opening ceremony of the International Press
Institute (IPI) World Congress and 54th General Assembly
held in Kenya, the Aga Khan stressed the need for
journalists to acquire deeper and broader knowledge
of new and complex issues that confront Africa.
“The
major issues in Africa today are complex and elusive
– and old approaches have often failed. But
every day, leaders in Africa and elsewhere are thinking
in new ways,” he said. “My central question
today, however, is whether we have enough good journalists
who know enough about these subjects – and can
help African audiences understand their African implications.”
Underlining
the need to better understand the implications for
African countries of scientific progress in the 21st
century, the Aga Khan cited the example of breakthroughs
in stem-cell research, which have the potential to
transform approaches to personal and public health.
Likewise, the revolution in bio-engineering promises
to change rural societies, just as new information
technologies can transform education throughout Africa
– including the most remote areas.
“I
believe the best journalists are not those who think
they know everything,” he said, “but those
who are wise enough to know what they do not know.
Excellence in journalism stems not from arrogant judgementalism
but from intellectual humility.”
The
Aga Khan pointed out that the IPI had raised concerns
in its annual report on the erosion of press freedom
in some African countries. “Respect for press
freedom,” he said, “grows out of a respect
for pluralism as a cornerstone of peace and progress.
Pluralism implies a readiness to listen to many voices
– whether we agree with them or not –
and a readiness to embrace a rich diversity of cultures.”
“When
our diversity divides us, the results can be tragic
– as we have seen in Rwanda, the Ivory Coast,
the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Sudan,”
he said. “But when we welcome diversity, we
sow the seeds of stability and progress.”
The
Aga Khan stressed the need to increase dialogue and
communication among journalists and “the voices
of civil society” namely, politicians, civil
servants, business and religious leaders. He said
that governments should place more emphasis on providing
information to journalists to help them better understand
policy issues. Background briefings are common in
the West, but rare in Africa.
Several
challenges have hindered the development of the profession
of journalism in Africa: the lack of well educated
people; the fact that journalism had not been seen
as a desirable profession, and that journalists, particularly
in Africa, are less well compensated than those who
enter other liberal professions.
The
Aga Khan said that these problems are not intractable.
“I believe that a concerted effort to invest
in the quality of African journalism can launch an
upward spiral of progress,” he said, urging
media owners and managers to be more conscious of
the quality of journalism rather than being solely
profit oriented.
“This
attitude is wrong. It often makes for manipulative
media, distorting and misleading in a narrow pursuit
of readers and ratings. It means that journalism is
subordinated to entertainment, and that the need to
inform must yield to the need to please,” he
stated. “The damage that can be done by such
distorted journalism is especially heavy in Africa,
offending African value systems, distracting energies
and mis-serving African development.”
The
Aga Khan was speaking at the opening ceremony of the
four-day media conference which brought together an
audience of over 300 media owners, managers and professionals
from around the world. The conference was officially
opened by Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki.
For
further information, please contact:
Department
of Public Affairs
Secretariat of His Highness the Aga Khan
Aiglemont
60270 Gouvieux
France
Telephone: +33.3.44.58.40.0
Fax: +33.3.44.58.42.79
E-mail: information@aiglemont.org
Website: www.akdn.org
NOTES
The
Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a group of
private, non-denominational development agencies whose
mandates range from the fields of health and education
to architecture, culture, rural development and the
promotion of private-sector enterprise. Its agencies
and institutions, working together, seek to empower
communities and individuals, often in disadvantaged
circumstances, to improve living conditions and opportunities,
especially in countries in sub-Saharan Africa, South
and Central Asia and the Middle East.
In
Kenya, the AKDN operates a breadth of activities in
the education, health and economic development sectors.
It manages 13 schools and one university, and its
three hospitals treat no fewer than one million patients
annually. The Nation Media Group, also part of the
AKDN, was established in 1960. Today, the Group has
six principal divisions, and also operate radio and
television stations and national newspapers in East
Africa |
