Johannesburg, 23 July 2014 - The countdown to the 2014 African Media Leaders' Forum (AMLF) has begun with the launch in Johannesburg today of a campaign against hate speech. The campaign will be carried out online and on a full range of media platforms, and will be the main theme of the 2014 AMLF, which is scheduled to take place from November 12 - 14 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The theme, 'Turning the Page on Hate Speech in a Changing Media Environment', will serve as a call to media leaders and operators in Africa to lend their full support to efforts to turn the tide against the rise of hate speech on the continent. Concerned by the surge of intolerance and hate, the growing level of discrimination and the rise in ethnic and religious fundamentalism, the African Media Initiative (AMI), rallied key partners and stakeholders at a regional workshop held in Rwanda last May to agree on an action plan against hate speech in Africa. AMLF 2014 is a continuation of the commitment of AMI, the parent organization that hosts the annual forum, to ensure that media contributes to a culture of peace and tolerance on the continent.
Speaking during the launch, AMI's Chief Executive Officer, Eric Chinje, pointed to the role of media leaders "in ensuring that media in Africa rises to the challenge of consolidating democracy and responding to the needs of a continent that aspires to emerge as a global economic player". Media will play that important role, he said, "if the basic tenets of journalism were recognized and respected by professionals, and balance and fairness in reporting became the norm everywhere." Recognizing the challenges that media in Africa face, he pointed out that ...
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