African agencies are being encouraged to enter this year's South African-based Loerie Awards. In its 32nd year, the event has become a highlight on the SA ad industry calendar and the organisers are really pushing for more African participation this year. Loeries CEO Andrew Human will be in Dubai this week to deliver a presentation to all interested. Africa definitely has the creative talent - its all about exposing that talent to the world. A pan-African media portal is on the cards after discussions during a joint meeting hosted by the AU and EU. The platform could be extremely beneficial to the African media community provided it is a well-maintained entity. It is a good sign when leaders invest in promoting a sustainable media environment putting education and freedom of information at the top of their lists. Rupert Murdoch is putting his words into action - as of June this year, readers of The Times and The Sunday Times in Britain will have to pay for their news. If Murdoch's initiative works well for the company, we can be sure to see other news organisations do the same - only time will tell...

Sindy Peters, Africa editor
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