Varied views of media's role

Opinions among the 60 participants at a UNDP-sponsored conference in Bamako, Mali on Africa's image in the media were varied, according to a UNDP source who attended the conference.

"Some felt that Africa was not portrayed objectively in the media," Obi Emekekwue, a UNDP information officer, told IRIN. "Others felt that the media does accurately portray what it sees."

The conference was held from 29 November to 3 December and was attended by leading editors, writers and media personalities from more than 20 countries, according to a UNDP news release. Participating West African countries were Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal.

During the conference Djibril Diallo, Director of UNDP's Division of Public Affairs, briefed journalists on the NETAID website (www.netaid.org) launched on 8 September by UNDP in partnership with a private firm, Cisco Systems.

The website provides information on organisations and their projects against social and economic deprivation. It has attracted more than 40 million hits and the participation of 2,100 leading anti-poverty NGOs, according to UNDP.

The Netaid Foundation, a non-profit organisation set up to manage funds raised by Netaid for poverty eradication, has initial grants totalling US $1 million, Diallo told conference participants.

"Some felt that the internet was an elitist medium and that more should be done to give ordinary people access," Emekekwue told IRIN. "This could be done by setting up more internet community centres or cybercafes," he added.