The Chief Executive Officer of the Inclusive Society Institute, Daryl Swanepoel participated in the TűRKiYE AFRICA MEDIA FORUM, which was held on 28 February 2025 in Istanbul, Tűrkiye.
Opening speakers included Grégoire Ndjaka, CEO of the African Union of Broadcasting, Walid Ammar Ellafi, Minister for State Communication and Political Affairs of the Government of National Unity Libya, and Professor Fahrettin Altun, Head of Communications, Presidency of the Republic of Tűrkiye.
Three further sessions were held:
Strengthening the Media and Communication Ecosystem in Tűrkiye-Africa Relations
Public Diplomacy and Strategic Communication: Exploring Opportunities for Cooperation within a Common Vision
Accurate Information Flow and Strategies to Counter Disinformation in Tűrkiye-Africa Media Relations.
The CEO of the Inclusive Society Institute participated as a panellist in Session 2: Public Diplomacy and Strategic Communication: Exploring Opportunities for Cooperation within a Common Vision
Speech by Daryl Swanepoel, CEO of the Inclusive Society Institute:
Public diplomacy and strategic communication: exploring opportunities for cooperation within a common vision
Public diplomacy and strategic communication are crucial in shaping international relations and promoting national interests in our interconnected world.
Public diplomacy goes beyond traditional diplomacy. It engages with foreign publics to foster understanding and build relationships. It utilizes cultural exchange, educational initiatives, and international broadcasting to convey messages in a relatable way.
Authenticity is essential; nations must present themselves honestly to build trust and encourage productive conversations.
The power of narratives also plays a significant role in public diplomacy. Crafting compelling stories that highlight shared values can create emotional connections and dispel misconceptions.
On the other hand, strategic communication aligns messaging with national objectives, requiring careful planning and execution. Consistency across all platforms reinforces a unified narrative, necessitating collaboration among governmental departments.
Additionally, responsiveness is vital in today's fast-paced digital age, where public opinion can shift rapidly.
Nations must respond quickly to challenges and crises to maintain credibility, using proactive strategies to mitigate misperceptions.
Technology, particularly social media, has transformed communication, offering new ways for countries to engage with global audiences. However, it also presents challenges, including misinformation. Fake news spreads rapidly, often outpacing the truth and manipulating public opinion.
To address this misuse of social media, it's essential to uphold standards of accuracy and accountability, ensuring that platforms serve their original purpose of fostering connections and shared understanding.
Today, I would like to discuss how a growing cooperation between Türkiye and Africa can ensure more truthful and objective media and social media.
As we navigate an era characterised by rapid information dissemination across borders, the importance of fostering a responsible media landscape is paramount.
The challenges of misinformation and biased reporting pose risks not only to individual nations but to our collective progress as a global community.
Türkiye and African nations share a rich history of collaboration, spanning economic development, cultural exchange, and diplomatic efforts. In this spirit of partnership, we now have a unique opportunity to enhance our cooperation in the media sector.
By working together, we can develop strategies that promote accurate journalism and nurture a more reliable information environment for our citizens.
First and foremost, establishing collaborative frameworks for journalistic standards is crucial. Türkiye and African nations can work hand in hand to create guidelines that prioritize ethical journalism, emphasizing the significance of fact-checking, source verification, and impartial reporting.
Organizations such as the Turkish Agency for Cooperation and Coordination (TIKA) can partner with local media organizations across Africa to facilitate workshops and training sessions, empowering journalists with the tools and skills necessary to uphold high reporting standards.
By sharing best practices and resources, we can collectively cultivate a media landscape that fosters truth and integrity.
Furthermore, fostering partnerships between Turkish media outlets and those across Africa can enrich the diversity of voices and perspectives in news reporting. Joint investigative projects can address issues of common interest, such as climate change, health crises, and economic development, and the priorities of the Global South while promoting transparency and accountability.
Such collaborations will not only strengthen the bonds between Türkiye and African countries but also contribute to a more informed public, willing to engage in dialogue around shared challenges.
Education plays a crucial role in empowering citizens to navigate the complexities of the media landscape. Both Türkiye and African nations must invest in media literacy programs that educate individuals on how to critically evaluate information and recognize biases or misinformation.
By integrating media literacy into school curriculums and public awareness campaigns, we can equip our citizens with the skills needed to engage responsibly with the media.
As informed consumers of information, they will demand quality journalism and contribute to a culture of accountability.
Additionally, addressing the challenges posed by social media is vital. With social platforms often serving as the primary source of news for many, there is a pressing need for collaborative efforts to combat misinformation.
Türkiye and African nations can work together alongside social media companies to develop initiatives aimed at enhancing transparency, implementing fact-checking mechanisms, and promoting responsible content sharing.
By collectively holding platforms accountable, we create an environment where accurate information can thrive.
Regulation can play a significant role in improving the accuracy of information shared on social media. Here are some examples of how regulation can foster a more reliable social media environment:
1. Fact-Checking Requirements: Regulations can mandate that social media platforms implement robust fact-checking mechanisms. This could involve partnering with independent fact-checking organizations to review content that gains significant traction. Posts flagged as false or misleading could be accompanied by corrective information or links to credible sources.
2. Transparency in Algorithms: Governments can require social media companies to disclose how their algorithms determine what content is promoted or demoted on their platforms. By ensuring transparency, users can better understand why they see certain types of content. This can help mitigate the spread of sensationalist or misleading information that thrives in engagement-driven algorithms.
3. User Verification: Implementing regulations that require user identification can help reduce the spread of misinformation. By ensuring that accounts are linked to real individuals, it becomes harder for malicious actors to create fake profiles that spread false narratives. While privacy considerations must be taken into account, verified accounts can increase accountability.
4. Labelling Misinformation: Regulatory frameworks can require social media platforms to label or flag posts that contain misinformation, especially during elections or public health crises. Clear markers can alert users that the content they are encountering may not be trustworthy, allowing them to approach it with caution.
5. Mandatory Reporting: Platforms could be required to report statistics related to the reach and impact of misinformation. For example, a regulatory requirement to disclose the most flagged posts or the volume of misinformation removed can promote accountability and encourage platforms to take proactive steps against harmful content.
6. Content Moderation Standards: Regulations can establish clear guidelines for content moderation practices, ensuring that platforms take action against harmful misinformation while also upholding freedom of expression. This could include the establishment of independent oversight boards to review content moderation decisions, ensuring accountability and fairness.
7. Educational Initiatives: Governments can encourage social media platforms to promote media literacy initiatives. Regulation can mandate that platforms allocate resources to educate users about identifying misinformation and understanding the importance of reliable sources. This could involve partnerships with educational institutions or nonprofit organizations.
8. Collaboration with Civil Society: Regulations can promote collaboration between social media platforms and civil society organizations focused on combating misinformation. By working together, platforms can develop best practices for addressing false information and fostering a more informed public.
9. Penalties for Non-Compliance: Introducing penalties for platforms that fail to comply with misinformation regulations can incentivize adherence to accurate information standards. Fines or other sanctions for repeated violations can encourage companies to prioritize the integrity of the information shared on their platforms.
10. Global Standards and Cooperation: Countries can work together to establish global standards for misinformation regulation, enabling a unified approach that transcends borders. Such cooperation can help create a consistent framework for addressing misinformation across different regions, making it more difficult for false narratives to gain traction internationally.
In essence, thoughtful regulation can help create an environment where accurate information flourishes and misinformation is systematically curtailed, ultimately leading to a more informed and engaged public
Open dialogue between Türkiye and African countries will also play a fundamental role in developing cohesive media strategies. Regular forums and conferences can be established to share insights, celebrate successes, and tackle challenges together. These discussions will help build consensus around best practices for promoting truthful reporting while respecting our distinct cultural and political landscapes.
By strengthening cooperation between Türkiye and Africa in the realm of media, we can pave the way for a future characterized by truthful, objective journalism. This partnership will not only enhance our national interests but also contribute to global understanding and solidarity.
So okay. What I have laid out here is a good academic representation of the topic in hand, namely, public diplomacy and strategic communication.
But let’s now consider the practical implications of when public diplomacy and strategic communication go wrong. And I will cite an example from my home country, South Africa:
Very topical right now is the declining relations between the United States and South Africa. The Trump administration is threatening punishing tariffs against South Africa, the cutting of aid that will have a devastating effect on out fight against aids, and the removal of the country from the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which will seriously impact South African manufacturing and exports.
Why?
Because the Trump administration has been misinformed about legislative measures aimed to redress the land injustices of the past. They have been told by certain activists and through social media that land is being and will be taken from the whites at no compensation.
This is simply not true: Yes there is a provision for no compensation, but that is in instances where land has for example been abandoned and the owners cannot be traced, or buildings in the inner cities that have fallen into serious disrepair with huge municipal debts attached to them, or the transfer of land from one government department to another. All imminently reasonable and in any event, challengeable in a Court of Law.
Then social media and certain activists promote the idea of a white genocide taking place on South African farms. The truth is that the murder rate on farms (for both farmers and workers) is considerably lower than in the country as a whole.
Now the Trump administration is offering refugee status to Afrikaners, all based on a false narrative.
Of course South Africa’s position viz-a-viz the Israel-Palestine conflict and relationship with Russia (and BRICS) is also deliberately misinterpreted in order to promote a review of relations with the United States.
This is the direct result of an ineffective government social media response to the accusations, and an ineffective communication strategy to counter the false narrative being spun.
And of course it did not help South Africa’s case by not having an Ambassador in Washington for over a year. A failure of public diplomacy.
Then there is the US threat of 100% tariffs on BRICS countries – and Türkiye is a BRICS applicant country by the way - were these countries dare proceed with some form of de-dollarisation. Where is the counter strategy of those BRICS countries. Where is the challenge on social media seeking a more just and fair international financial system; where is the questioning as to whether the dominance of the US dollar does not in fact amount to anti-competitive behaviour.
The absence of a well thought out strategic communication strategy and effective pubic diplomacy has real consequences for nations. It disrupts the economic order, and feeds polarisation between nations.
This topic we are talking about today is not a soft topic, it is not an add-on function of government. It is crucial component necessary to ensure a country’s wellbeing amongst its own citizens and the international community.
With this in mind, I think Türkiye and South Africa can do well by strengthening its cooperation in the field of public diplomacy and strategic cooperation. Türkiye is particularly well-placed within the G20 and NATO to play an important mediating role aimed at bringing the West and Africa into a more constructive, development orientated relationship.
And it is through Türkiye’s strategic communication and public diplomacy functions that it will have do so.
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