Presenting Africa: An African Journalist Perspective
2/13/2006
Over the weekend, I was having academic discussion with some American colleagues at the Union about BGSU and globalization. One of the students innocently and curiously asked, “Why all we see on Western television about Africa is negative?” My response came close to what is in this opinion piece.
Since the colonization and partition of Africa by the French, British, Portuguese, Spanish, Italians, and others, decades ago, Africa is rarely portrayed in a positive light in Western media. Pickup the New York Times, the Guardian in England, and Le Monde in France, the reporting, interpretation and ethos are almost the same. Despite the gradual improvements on the relics of our colonizers, Africa is still being branded by Western media as politically and economically backward, engulfed in never-ending civil strife, fraught with underdeveloped health system and constantly violating human rights. In the eyes of Western media organizations, Africa is just a place for exotic animals, seafood products and natural locations for movie shoots.
One of Africa’s distinguished writers, Chinua Achebe, once wrote:
“People go to Africa and confirm what they already have in their heads and so they fail to see what is there in front of them. This is what people have come to expect. It's not viewed as a serious continent. It's a place of strange, bizarre and illogical things, where people don't do what common sense demands.”
The media have clouded the minds of most Westerners with negative perceptions, even though perception does not always reflect reality. This piece would attempt to present Africa from a slightly different outlook with respect to its politics, economics, and socio-cultural phenomena.
Geographically, Africa is the second largest continent after Asia, with over 50 countries, and five regions; a continent that is endowed with natural resources, including gold, diamonds, oil etc., rich cultures and diverse traditions, and a plethora of social belief and religious systems. Like other continents, Africa has its problems, but has many success stories.
Politically, we have made democratic progress in countries in Southern Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria, Liberia, Ghana, Sierra Leone etc., despite political conflicts in Sudan, Congo and Ivory Coast. The Africa critics in Western media, many of whom know little about the continent have offered very little, if any, political solution(s) to solve some of the political problems in Africa. All what we hear is empty political rhetoric, a semblance of trying. Every country in the world has political problem, it depends on the definition and magnitude. Most of the political news coverage is either dishonest at best or haphazard at worst. Almost daily, Western media carry news items from the Middle East, despite its debatable relevance. Western media are always looking for bad news in Africa. Africa is also part of the human race and should be treated with respect.
Economically, almost 95% of business news is either about Southeast Asia, Europe, or America, not even South America, with Brazil or Argentina having enormous economies; the Caribbean too is rarely featured. In a new documentary, Africa is Ready for Business, a British film-maker portrayed successful businesses in about 10 countries in Africa, including South Africa and Nigeria as proven examples that Africa can compete with the rest of the world if given the opportunity. Indeed, Africa is ready for foreign investment, but only if Western media desist from denigrating Africa economic prospect, and start promoting international investment in: telecommunication, manufacturing, food production, airline and new technologies.
Socially, anything that is negative is from Africa. Aids for example, according to some questionable history and theory, started in Africa. Africans too have theories about aids, that it was a failed scientific experiment by Western scientists; and also, it is an attempt by the West to control the population of Africa. Today, even in the shadow of poverty, Africa continues to improve, although at a snail pace and with limited resources. The health and educational systems are improving greatly. Family values, once threatened by a wave of Western lifestyles are being reinstated. Women are gradually participating in almost all aspect of society. Crime rates are down. How many people know that D.C. and London are two of the most unsafe cities in the world based on crime statistics?
Africa is not hopeless. Admittedly, some African leaders are corrupt-just as the ongoing political corruption in the West, Africa has some diseases-diseases are worldwide, Africa is poor-because of poor management, and Africa is behind in technology. We blame the West partly for these problems. Most of the armed conflicts in Africa are fueled by illegal sale of arms by Western and Eastern contractors. The International Monetary Fund and others are squeezing Africa dry by way of providing loans with stiff conditions. African leaders in turn swindle the loan money to private accounts logged in Western countries. Is this fair?
-30-
2/13/2006
Over the weekend, I was having academic discussion with some American colleagues at the Union about BGSU and globalization. One of the students innocently and curiously asked, “Why all we see on Western television about Africa is negative?” My response came close to what is in this opinion piece.
Since the colonization and partition of Africa by the French, British, Portuguese, Spanish, Italians, and others, decades ago, Africa is rarely portrayed in a positive light in Western media. Pickup the New York Times, the Guardian in England, and Le Monde in France, the reporting, interpretation and ethos are almost the same. Despite the gradual improvements on the relics of our colonizers, Africa is still being branded by Western media as politically and economically backward, engulfed in never-ending civil strife, fraught with underdeveloped health system and constantly violating human rights. In the eyes of Western media organizations, Africa is just a place for exotic animals, seafood products and natural locations for movie shoots.
One of Africa’s distinguished writers, Chinua Achebe, once wrote:
“People go to Africa and confirm what they already have in their heads and so they fail to see what is there in front of them. This is what people have come to expect. It's not viewed as a serious continent. It's a place of strange, bizarre and illogical things, where people don't do what common sense demands.”
The media have clouded the minds of most Westerners with negative perceptions, even though perception does not always reflect reality. This piece would attempt to present Africa from a slightly different outlook with respect to its politics, economics, and socio-cultural phenomena.
Geographically, Africa is the second largest continent after Asia, with over 50 countries, and five regions; a continent that is endowed with natural resources, including gold, diamonds, oil etc., rich cultures and diverse traditions, and a plethora of social belief and religious systems. Like other continents, Africa has its problems, but has many success stories.
Politically, we have made democratic progress in countries in Southern Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Nigeria, Liberia, Ghana, Sierra Leone etc., despite political conflicts in Sudan, Congo and Ivory Coast. The Africa critics in Western media, many of whom know little about the continent have offered very little, if any, political solution(s) to solve some of the political problems in Africa. All what we hear is empty political rhetoric, a semblance of trying. Every country in the world has political problem, it depends on the definition and magnitude. Most of the political news coverage is either dishonest at best or haphazard at worst. Almost daily, Western media carry news items from the Middle East, despite its debatable relevance. Western media are always looking for bad news in Africa. Africa is also part of the human race and should be treated with respect.
Economically, almost 95% of business news is either about Southeast Asia, Europe, or America, not even South America, with Brazil or Argentina having enormous economies; the Caribbean too is rarely featured. In a new documentary, Africa is Ready for Business, a British film-maker portrayed successful businesses in about 10 countries in Africa, including South Africa and Nigeria as proven examples that Africa can compete with the rest of the world if given the opportunity. Indeed, Africa is ready for foreign investment, but only if Western media desist from denigrating Africa economic prospect, and start promoting international investment in: telecommunication, manufacturing, food production, airline and new technologies.
Socially, anything that is negative is from Africa. Aids for example, according to some questionable history and theory, started in Africa. Africans too have theories about aids, that it was a failed scientific experiment by Western scientists; and also, it is an attempt by the West to control the population of Africa. Today, even in the shadow of poverty, Africa continues to improve, although at a snail pace and with limited resources. The health and educational systems are improving greatly. Family values, once threatened by a wave of Western lifestyles are being reinstated. Women are gradually participating in almost all aspect of society. Crime rates are down. How many people know that D.C. and London are two of the most unsafe cities in the world based on crime statistics?
Africa is not hopeless. Admittedly, some African leaders are corrupt-just as the ongoing political corruption in the West, Africa has some diseases-diseases are worldwide, Africa is poor-because of poor management, and Africa is behind in technology. We blame the West partly for these problems. Most of the armed conflicts in Africa are fueled by illegal sale of arms by Western and Eastern contractors. The International Monetary Fund and others are squeezing Africa dry by way of providing loans with stiff conditions. African leaders in turn swindle the loan money to private accounts logged in Western countries. Is this fair?
-30-
posted by Vickylandys | 10:30 AM
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