Criticism of Ethiopia African media leaders’ forum is healthy’By LEE MWITI | Monday, September 2  2013 at  14:47

Amadou Mahtar Ba, the African Media Initiative Chief Executive. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU. 

The chief executive officer of the African Media Initiative, Amadou Mahtar Ba, is a man in the eye of a mild storm.

The pan-African organisation’s decision taken last year to hold its annual flagship industry gathering in Addis Ababa has been heavily criticised in the run up to the November event.

The annual African Media Leaders Forum brings together owners and operators of private and independent media in Africa to evaluate the state of the industry.

Critics however charge that Ethiopia’s human rights record is poor, and say that media chiefs should instead seek to boycott the event.

Africa Review spoke to the Senegalese national in Nairobi to find out what is at play.

Do you feel the criticism is warranted?

We have to understand the role of the media in society. Yes there has been strong criticism from some quarters, [but] the decision to hold the summit was agreed on last year in Dakar unanimously, and the AMI board endorsed it. This is because we feel there that as Africans there should be no territory in Africa that the African journalist cannot set foot in, even if they disagree with what is going on in that country.

If you don’t agree with somebody you must go and tell them why you don’t agree with them and have a public debate about it. We are not going to Ethiopia to tell the government oh you are good, or bad. We are going to discuss about media in Africa issues. Within that umbrella we will discuss issues including press freedom.

On the last day we are having a heads of state roundtable, where we will discuss the role and responsibilities of African governments to uphold press freedom and freedom of expression.

I believe it is important to hear what the people say, the critics, but it is also important for the critics to hear what we say so that we have a healthy debate.

What exactly does the African Media Leaders Forum hope to achieve in Addis Ababa?

First and foremost to have all the stakeholders discuss about media in general on the continent, and the role of media and then of course all the issues we have in certain countries including Ethiopia and press freedom and freedom of expression.

We will also have a public debate where it is not controlled, and which is open for anyone to come and say what they feel about the media and press freedom, which hasn’t been happening before.

Secondly, we are bringing in African leaders, the president of the African Development Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa…to discuss the role of the media, not only in Ethiopia, but also in the continent.

Of course we know and recognise that there are some journalists who are in jail in Ethiopia. Some people say they are not journalists, they are activists, but as far as we are concerned people are in jail for having written something. It is our duty to engage the Ethiopian government on those journalists, and to do it respectfully, in Ethiopia, not sitting in London or New York talking about it.

In a recent editorial you say preparations for the Forum have been with Ethiopian media groups. Observers say these groups are largely pro-establishment and do not represent the independent journalist. What is your reaction to this?

First, the Ethiopia Publishers Association already existed, we didn’t make it up, and so we invited them to our organising committee. They speak for the country’s publishers. Then there is the Media Council, they are not a statutory body, its chair owns a private independent media outlet. It is for others to make their own judgment if they are pro or anti-government, for us as AMI, we go by their credibility. Our duty is to work with them when we come into the country. In all our discussions, no one has said, hold on, they do not represent private media. Let’s try to work in a way that advances the cause of media freedom.

Is AMI a club for publishers with cosy ties to governments?

If you come to the media leaders’ forum, you see those owners and operators, an important constituency because they have a lot of weight in the media landscape. But you also see editors, you also see journalists.

The AMLF is a full member of AMI; we hold our activities together. I think it is okay to criticise, and I am all for debating to make it stronger, but let’s base it on facts. You cannot say oh, AMI is a club of pro-establishment people. Even if it were the case, does it mean all those people are against press freedom and the freedom of expression?

To advance, in all societies, the cause of media freedom you’ve got to involve those who have taken the step to create media houses. That’s what we are trying to do.

There is a lot of chatter around the phrase “constructive engagement” that AMI has used to justify its forum being held in Ethiopia. Would you articulate the context that AMI is using it in the Ethiopian context?

To me in my mind, it means engaging the other party towards a goal or objective which will be helpful to society, helpful to the majority. What it means is go in Ethiopia, talk to the Ethiopian government, civil society, academics, institutions…and tell them at the end of the day, press freedom is important, that making sure this country is open is important.

How we do that is the discussion we ought to have in the quest for a prosperous continent.

AMFL deliberations are structured together around plenary sessions and breakout groups. Does this render the Forum a talking shop?

We were clear at the beginning that we don’t want to be just a talking shop. We discuss issues which cut across the industry. We have a focus on ethics, and the advancement of technology and innovation, and on press freedom. What comes out is you showcase the programmes that you have been doing and how people can benefit from them, an exchange of beneficial initiatives.

Last year in Dakar AMI signed a journalists’ training programme with Turkey. How’s that going?

This year we have already had a group from Senegal, Niger, Gabon already started. If you think about these three countries they are all Francophone countries, but they are also all countries in which a primary of Turkey is the religious issue.

We have groups of five journalists each who are working to benefit from working with them. We may have less reports on it, but this is because when we signed the deal there were 500,700 people in the room, but this is ongoing.

Turkey is the World’s top jailer of journalists. Should AMI really be dealing with such countries?

In March this year, the deputy PM of Turkey, Bulent Aric, who was in Dakar, went to Germany and made the declaration that the government of Turkey has taken the decision to introduce a law to parliament to amend the draconian media laws, and that is happening.

It is important to disagree, but disagree with the person while talking to the person and telling them is what ought to be done. Can AMI take action for that bold action? I hope we can, even if we may not take 100 per cent credit. When we went to Turkey the joint final declaration with the government of Turkey underscores the importance of press freedom.

AMI has been in advanced talks with funders, specifically the AfDB to establish a line of credit for struggling African independent publishers. Where are you now?

That process is going on, the mechanisms have been designed and agreed. We hope that at AMLF this year there will be an announcement. We are working on it very strategically. Funding for the private sector is an issue everywhere, and media comes with certain aspects which are a bit more complex, but it is a core requirement for media development. That is why we are very happy to have the ear of the African Development Bank. We are pushing this very hard.

lmwiti@ke.nationmedia.co.ke