As the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic continues, MultiChoice Group (MCG) has reaffirmed its commitment to the United Nations’ (UN’s) efforts to conquer the virus that has wreaked havoc around the globe and will continue to support the global organisation’s Pause campaign in celebration of UN Day which was held on the 24th of October 2020.
Through its broadcast and digital platforms, MCG has been the official African media supporter of the Pause Campaign since its launch in June 2020. The campaign, which aims to reach one billion people by the end of December 2020, intends to prevent the spread of damaging misinformation about the pandemic and encourages people to only share trusted and accurate science-based social media content.
“As a pan-African organisation, we are proud to be able to reach a mass audience and use our reach into 19.5 million African households to raise awareness on key issues relevant to the continent,” says Calvo Mawela, Chief Executive Officer: MultiChoice Group. “Supporting initiatives such as the Pause campaign as well as airing relevant and compelling educational and news content on our platforms aligns with our commitment to making an impact in the communities in which we operate.”
MCG continues its support in phase two, which i rolled out on 21 October. As part of the second phase, students from the MultiChoice Talent Factory, the group’s development initiative that identifies and upskills Africa’s young storytellers, will create a 60-second advert encouraging viewers to #PledgetoPause before they share online or digital content.
On October 21, online influencers and global voices made their own #PledgetoPause and called on their supporters to do the same.
“With Covid-19, the wrong information can kill. It is increasingly clear that we cannot successfully tackle the pandemic without also addressing online misinformation,” said Melissa Fleming, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications. “With the Pause campaign, we are trying to recreate a new social norm about how we share information. Each and every one of us can help break the chain of misinformation by pausing before we share. Pledge to Pause today.”
The consequences of the global pandemic have been vast and deep, and Covid-19 has again reminded us of the need for urgent and determined action to achieve the world’s Sustainable Development Goals. The UN has collaborated with Project Everyone – a not-for-profit agency – to develop a documentary which puts the power of communications behind these global developmental goals, to accelerate progress towards a world where, within the next decade, extreme poverty has been eradicated, climate change is properly addressed, and injustice and inequality are unacceptable. As part of phase two, MCG will broadcast this thought-provoking internationally acclaimed documentary on its platforms.
“Through the transformative power of the media, and using our extensive platforms, we can envision the world we want to see in ten years’ time and enable the key conversations that will drive behaviour change to achieve those goals,” concludes Mawela.
