Posted on December 10, 2009 - by Janet Smith

In Copenhagen, Africa Raises Awareness Via Media Focus on Climate

A lesson learned for media attention is being taught by African delegates at recent climate conferences:  if you want attention: threaten to walk out, threaten again and if necessary walk out.  Someone will notice and broadcast it.

African delegates walked out of Barcelona’s climate change conference in early November, and as identified by search engines like Twitter and YouTube (One Africa No Political Deals!), the delegates have threatened to walk out of Copenhagen talks. 

The lack of media attention to the African continent is documented concisely but not widely known (a.k.a., that being the point).

On a daily basis, Global Attention Profiles (GAP) evaluate where media’s attention is spread across the globe.  A Harvard project since 2003, GAP tracks media attention via ‘hit maps’ and ‘correlation maps’ (GDP and population) from Google, CNN, NYTimes, Yahoo, BBC, AP, Reuters and others.  

In November, 2009, Inc. Magazine posted top 19 bloggers and included Ethan Zuckerman (best world view), a senior researcher at Harvard’s Berkman Center, one of the creators of the GAP analysis as well as several organizations, including Geekcorps.com, an organization dedicated to improving developing countries.

The GAP maps clarify that media consumers are significantly under-informed on Africa because a widespread deficiency in information has been documented since the project’s inception.  This deficiency means that without access to data, researchers are:

• Less likely to understand future media stories that involve Africa.
• Less likely to understand Africa’s role in global politics.
• More likely to be surprised by events triggered by events in Africa.

As reported by the New York Times ”Smaller Nations Weigh Power of the Walkout” it seems that African delegates have learned the power of the soundbite also.

“Ten billion dollars will not buy developing countries’ citizens enough coffins,” said the G77’s chair, Lumumba Stanislaus Di Aping of Sudan. 

He identified the dispute over finance as one of a number of potential “walkout issues” at Copenhagen. 

Basic facts you are probably not aware:

• The African continent is roughly three times the United States plus China: this image may not be meter-accurate but it visually makes the point.
• Nigeria is the world’s 7th largest natural gas producer, the 2nd largest gas flaring country behind Russia and has somewhere in the ballpark of a need for 140,000 megawatts and has say 3,000.  (We should know more.)
• Nigeria and most of Africa, is in the dark.
• The 27,000 fans of Light Up Nigeria on Facebook would like you to watch their video shot in the dark, succinctly making their point.

Go for it delegates, make a FUSS!  Use the Copenhagen media to alert the world about African issues like the lack of energy infrastructure.  Perhaps baby steps like solar lighting on roadways should continue to be deployed to light the night regardless of grid infrastructure issues.  Technology has come a long way and solar firms have invested in R&D advancing the capabilities of grid-free outdoor solar lighting.

Copenhagen is a great venue for developing countries in Africa to work together to maintain media focus on the issues of the continent.  With consistent media attention on Africa, Facebook movements like MASSIVEGOOD sponsored by a contingent of large companies in the travel industry to combat AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis will gain more traction.

From Ethan Zuckerman’s “Africa’s a continent. Not a crisis”:  “Africa’s not an issue. It’s not a cause or a problem. It’s a continent…To actually accomplish the goal of [eliminating] poverty in Africa, Americans and Europeans have to get a great deal smarter about this other Africa. This Africa needs investment and trade, rather than just aid and debt forgiveness.  This Africa is open for business.”

Have a moment.  Several visual ruckuses at the U.N. climate table may be the best PR plan Africa can do to bring attention and action to the continent.

Go ahead, delegates raise a stink. Embarrassing moments gave Tiger more media attention in weeks than being a winner for years.

Huh.