Deputy Minister in the Presidency Thembi Siweya will on Tuesday engage with the community of Colesburg in the Northern Cape to create awareness of the importance of access to the media by historically disadvantaged communities.
The engagement will be hosted by the Media Development & Diversity Agency (MDDA) as part of its mandate to raise awareness around the need for media development and diversity, and will focus on both the value of community media and the services of the MDDA and other stakeholders in supporting the growth and sustainability of community media projects.
The outreach is part of an ongoing media awareness campaign by the Deputy Minister and the MDDA to support and drive the sustainability of the community media sector.
The campaign is focused on giving a voice to those historically disadvantaged communities, both geographic and interest-based, marginalised by the mainstream media, as well as by other stakeholders.
Government recognises the critical role of a robust and diverse community media sector in driving the transformation agenda outlined in the country’s National Development Plan and in the Electoral Mandate, as presented by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation Address in June 2019.
“Such media projects are a powerful tool for nation building and social cohesion as they strive to mirror the lives and aspirations of communities, making the media accessible to all people in the language of their choice.
“As a critical medium of information sharing and a powerful platform from which to raise awareness around grassroots issues, local media projects enable the communities they serve to play an active role in our democracy,” the Presidency said in a statement.
Members of the community are invited to attend the outreach which will take place at the Kuyasa Community Hall in Colesberg from 09h00 to 13h00 on 12 November 2019. – SAnews.gov.za
