by Russell Southwood (@BalancingActAfr) Speaking at the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum, Egyptian TV satirist Bassem Youssef, creator of the B+ Show (on You Tube) and the TV show Al-Bernameg (roughly translated as The Programme, which he has since cancelled) talks about:
using humor and laughter to combat religious fascism and authoritarianism;- creating a media that respects people’s intelligence;
- not buying into the everyday life of propaganda;
- and satire as a weapon to dissect lies.
Key quote: “Fear is a formula that has failed throughout history. It’s just a moment in time and will be washed away by history.”
Russell Southwood is the founder of Balancing Act and the web TV channel Smart Monkey TV, and has been an analyst in telecoms, internet and broadcast in Africa for the last 14 years. Smart Monkey TV aims to capture the energy at the crossroads between African culture and technology. MarkLives is syndicating content from Smart Monkey TV on a weekly basis for the column “Smart Africa TV”.
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