Download Speech (82kb PDF) Speech by David Hampshire launching Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards Foreign Press Association 21 April, 2004 Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen May I thank you first of all for taking the time to join us here today. I would also like to thank the Foreign Press Association for making their excellent facilities available to us. I would like to say a few words about the origins of the Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards. As long-term investors in Africa, we have been very conscious of the fact that, outside the continent, there is relatively little reporting on business in Africa. In fact, there is relatively little reporting about Africa. Unfortunately, much of what reporting there is on Africa is about wars, famine, corruption and so on. Of course these things exist and need to be reported on. However, as long as bad news dominates, it does tend to deliver a negative view of the continent as a place to do business. We believe this can act as a serious deterrent to investment. As was stated at the recent launching of the Commission for Africa: "Africa is the only continent to have grown poorer in the past 25 years. Its share of world trade has halved in the generation, and it receives less than 1 per cent of direct foreign investment". Africa needs a lot more investment. We are all aware that a massive amount of foreign direct investment will be needed if the Millennium Development Goals are to be achieved in Africa. Let me remind you briefly what [some of] these goals are. Millennium Development Goals "We will spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanising conditions of extreme poverty, to which more than a billion of them are subjected." United Nations Millennium Declaration - September 2000. 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger 2. Achieve universal primary education 3. Promote gender equality and empower women 4. Reduce child mortality 5. Improve maternal health 6. Combat HIV / AIDS, malaria and other diseases 7. Ensure environmental sustainability 8. Develop a global partnership for development. That is a formidable challenge. We believe that what we are talking about today can make a contribution to tackling that challenge. In October last year, we organised a series of breakfast meetings in which we brought together representatives from the media and from businesses having an interest in Africa. The aim was quite simple. It was to get an understanding, from different perspectives, of why there is so little reporting of African business in the international media, and then to discuss what needed to be done to increase and improve coverage. We were very fortunate indeed to have the services of Zeinab Badawi, Jon Snow and George Alagiah to facilitate the discussions. We collected the views expressed by the participants in a booklet - Africa, the marginalised continent. We launched the booklet at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in December last year in Abuja, Nigeria. I also had the opportunity to present it to the Africa All Party Parliamentary Group earlier this year. Generally the booklet has drawn favourable comment. Copies are in the information pack (which will be available at the door) and on our website (www.diageo.com). However, it was clearly only a first step. It was evident that we all could do a lot more to address the business reporting issue. We decided we needed to make a more tangible contribution. That is why we are here today. We have decided to introduce a set of initiatives that will, we believe, be a positive contribution to the challenges of inadequate developed world reporting on business in Africa. We also hope to address the issue of journalistic capability development in Africa. At the heart of this programme are the Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards, new awards for international news agencies and journalists that will, we hope, focus attention on the shortfall in business reporting on Africa. Let me tell you a little more about these awards. They will recognise journalists, features and articles, publications and news agencies, thus giving four categories: - Best published feature - Best broadcast feature - Best publication/programme - Best journalist A distinguished judging panel will consider the applications. We are not yet ready to publish the names but the members are people who have a deep understanding of Africa, its needs and its potential. Application forms and details of how to apply are in the information packs and will be on our website. The closing date for applications is 01 June 2004. Let me give you a brief description of the judging criteria. All winners will have demonstrated - Excellent research and insight - Clear and balanced presentation of complex issues - Objectivity - Journalistic flair In addition to these overarching qualities, winners will be defined by the following additional criteria: Best Feature (published / broadcast) - A piece of groundbreaking journalism that provides insight and clarification where it was previously lacking. - Supported by original research that has 'gone the extra mile' - Considered by the panel to have significantly changed their perception and understanding of the issue covered. Best Publication / Programme - Regular and sustained coverage of business in Africa. - Recognition of the increasing importance of business in Africa in a global context. - Innovative use of web-based platforms to promote a better understanding of business in Africa. - Reputation amongst business community as a valued source of information on business in Africa. Best Journalist - Regular and sustained coverage of business in Africa. The first awards will be presented on 16 July this year. Further details will be available on the website. There will be trophies and market visits for the all the winners. We think that the market visits, in particular, will be an attractive incentive. In addition, the best journalist will receive a cash prize. We hope that the awards will encourage all those involved in reporting on business and on Africa, whether they be editors, feature writers or whatever, to give more time and attention to business in Africa. We do think this will help promote sorely needed investment. This is only the beginning. It is our intention to build on this initiative quite quickly. We will be releasing details shortly but essentially we are looking at facilitating market visits and developing an interactive tool to help train student journalists. We intend to make that tool available to schools of journalism in Africa and elsewhere. I hope that what we are doing and planning will make a real difference to reporting on business in Africa. I hope that it will encourage potential investors to look more carefully at what Africa has to offer. With your support I believe we can make a difference. Thank you for your attention.