By Mbali Mzinyane
A panel of speakers from
four different countries gathered during the Highway Africa conference panel
session yesterday to discuss the media’s role as a partner to effect government
policy change.
The workshop reflected the
media’s role of six countries namely, South Africa, Tanzania, Malawi, Ghana,
Uganda, and Kenya.
On the panel was Catherine Mwesigwa
Kizza, deputy editor of New Vision
newspaper in Uganda, South African science writer Leonie Joubert, Ghanaian
chief reporter for Ghana News Agency,
Linda Asante-Agyei and Wisdom Chimgwede, senior investigative journalist of
Malawi’s National Publications Limited.
The revelatory discussion
was based around suggestive ideas of bringing about better governmental policies
that reflect society’s needs through the collaboration of the media and civil
society organisations (CSO’s).
The panellists discussed how
the media within their respective countries was working with civil society to
address issues that are often marginalised and bring to attention the
day-to-day problems that have risen due to other changes such as urban-rural
divide within society.
“There is a big gap between
the policy makers and the voiceless, and that is where the role of the media
comes in”, Asante-Agyei said during her discussion of how Ghana News Agency is working with CSO’s to address societal issues
in order to influence policy makers.
However, the question of the
media retaining its independence whilst being involved with CSOs was
highlighted during commentary made by delegates attending the panel session.
“The question to ask
ourselves is if media is part of civil society and if media can work with CSO’s
and the answer to both these questions is ‘yes’. However, media and CSOs should
not be friends”, said Chimgwede. Chimgwede, along with the other panellists
emphasised how media should remain true to their identity and retain their
independence whilst fulfilling their role as reporters.
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