Incisive Journalism in Cameroon: The Best of ��Cameroon Report�� (1978 � 1986)

39. Cameroon Report 22/7/1980: Towards a New World Information Order

145 39 Cameroon Report 22/7/1980: Towards a New World Information Order Introduction: More than 100 delegates of information from all over Africa have gathered in Yaounde for the first ever UNESCOsponsored conference on information. The conference, dubbed “Africa 80” is being chaired by UNESCO director-general Mahtar Mbow of Senegal. The delegates including Information Ministers, Directors of state-owned media establishments, communication experts of international organisations and journalists would discuss the setting up of a new world information order to redress the imbalance of information flow between the industrialised nations and the Third World. Among several topics to be discussed are the heavy dependency of the Third World on Western communication facilities, the onesided flow of information from the West to the Third World, the distorted image of the Third World as presented by the western media and the encouragement of rural-based media in African countries. The conference will seek to elicit commitments from African countries to increase investments in the communication sector. As delegates settle down to deliberate on what is expected to result in an African communication policy, Sam-Nuvala Fonkem cautions in the following commentary against the temptation by African governments to adopt an authoritarian position on communication media: At a time when most African states have attained post independence maturity, the need to define and apply an appropriate communication strategy has become more 146 pertinent than ever before. As the decolonisation process is getting nearer to its end, Africa is increasingly faced with the problem of neo-colonialism which is most evident in its communication system, a communication system which is strongly linked to the colonial metropolis. It has become more imperative than ever before to decolonise communication in Africa. This means that, as President Ahidjo clearly warned in his inaugural address today, “African states are running the great risk of having their freedom of judgement trampled upon and their personality disintegrated, if the presentation of biased, depressing and often catastrophic news continued”. Africa never comes into the limelight of news unless there is a coup d’état or something as sensational and catastrophic as that. It has been widely accepted or agreed upon that the present flow of information is one sided and that Africa is seen through the eyes of foreigners and that for a true image of Africa to be presented, the information should emanate from within not without. Nevertheless, this commentator would like to warn that the rectification of this situation should not mean the replacement of an external information tyranny with one that would want to see things its own way and not consider the other side of the coin. Formulating a strategy to decolonise the African communication system is not enough. African states must be prepared to sacrifice for an autonomous communication system and be prepared to funnel some of the fat sums of money lavished on meaningless pomp and pageantry to support such a system. To get quality means money and any African government today which wants an efficient communication system must pay for it or stop dreaming about a decolonised system. 147 This commentator would also like to warn that the Yaounde conference on communication policies in Africa should not be used as a forum to adopt measures that would stifle the growth of a free press, otherwise the whole purpose of decolonising information for a fairer and more truthful presentation of the African image would be destroyed. Some countries are already applying measures that would eventually limit the growth of a free press and we hope the conference would deplore such measures. When a liberal profession like journalism is placed under the total control of the executive arm of government, then we must admit that it is the beginning of authoritarianism which we hope the conference would denounce. We can’t have authoritarianism and expect to have a free press and we hope the conference would deplore such measures. And any press that is not free can truly reflect the thinking and diverse views of its readership or audience. You can’t eat your cake and have it. Sam-Nuvala Fonkem 148 ...