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 on October 24, 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 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 where we operate.”
MCG continues its support in phase-two, which is set to roll-out from 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, throughout the day, 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.”
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 that puts the power of communication behind these global developmental goals – to accelerate progress toward 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.
