Scoops of Western Media on Africa: Mere Binoculars Journalism

By Austen Uwosomah

Africa is a continent that has been or I should say is still being plagued by
litany of economic and socio-political woes. This is evidently seen in the myriad
of the man made and natural problems that every now and then trigger off there. No
wonder why it has become veritable laboratory for western media journalists to
perfect systemic unhealthy journalism that portrays Africa as perpetually ugly,
bad and no good.

Undoubtedly, Africa is like an ignored news field that western journalists

suddenly swoop down on though with binoculars instead of parachutes whenever any
of these phenomena of disease, famine, war, death, corruption, nepotism,
dictatorship or other stereotypes that the continent was and is globally known for
occur. Only then is the interest of the Occidental reporters rekindled in the
continent and of course then they balloon “the negative, giving scant regard to
areas of notable progress, development and achievement. Almost like there is a
desire to maintain an archaic and dire image of Africa. An image which it infact
helped establish in the minds of its viewers since pre-slavery times.”

Salisu Koki writing on ohmynews.com, says “regrettably enough, the once valued and
highly regarded Western media have slipped a bit from its renowned tradition of
fair and balanced reporting, most especially when it comes to reporting issues
pertaining to Africa and Africans.” Reiterating, Raymond Belleh (2006) adds “the
western media continues to have a field day at Africa's expense, doing a great
disservice to Africa undermining its history, rich culture and tradition and
overall historical contribution to world affairs.”

Western media may not entirely be at fault for the gross discredit it makes on
Africa. Perhaps the audience back home is desirous of nothing short of lampoons
and sarcasms which they have from time immemorial become wont to. Assenting, Sis.
Margaret (2008) says: “Africa simply lives in their imaginations because the media
fathom their audiences and do very good job telling them what they want to hear,
see, or read… No one can blame them for selecting stories and images their people
like.”

Proffering sop to the way forward, Sis. Margaret enthuses that what the continent
needs is its own media to tell its own stories, carve its own image so the western
audience would have heard that the news reported on Africa via “binoculars view",
whatever the merits, only helps to reinforce the age-old stereotypes. And to begin
finding solutions, Africans need their own independent media, financially strong,
professionally managed, deciding contents and context, and capable of competing
with other media. Without this, Africa is interpreted by others who scarcely
understand it.

So when next time the so called “global Big brothers” sit at the conference table
to deliberate on how to find global remedies to Africa’s epidemic, endemic or
pandemic outbreaks, they should as well discus possibilities of helping to sustain
a continental media for it. So that Africa can use it to add the emended fairness
and objectivity that is void in the reportage western media makes on it. Unless
the powers that be in the global arena of where resolve on panacea to Africa
problems consider this continual surliness of western media reporting on Africa
part of the continent’s problems and make it point of global responsibility to
address it, then perhaps the continued stereotype reports on Africa by Occidental
journalists will not be thawed.

Suffice to say that my aforementioned suggestion may not be realizable in the

farthest future. If something would be done, I certainly would not kid myself or
others that the western political benefactors of Africa will build a continental
mass media for the continent. Not with recent dwindle in the amount of global
spending channeled to Africa. There are no more watersheds in the donation Africa
needy countries receive from global donors. The reason being that most western
political philanthropists are looking more inwards than outwards. Even when they
do, there must be some kind of benefit if they will give aid. So the onus to a
brisk solution lies in African leaders to cooperate and in solidarity join
resources and manpower to sustain a continental media with which to recreate the
image of Africa in the view of the global audience from the dastardly stereotypes
western media reporters have more often than not depicted it.

References

1. *Salisu Ahmed Koki (2006) Western Media and Africa: Balanced Reporting?
www.english/ohmynews.com
2. *Raymond Tarek Belleh (2006) The Western Media and Its Exploitation of
Africa www.africanevents.com
3. *Sis. Margaret (2008) Poverty in Africa: The solution
http://cozay1.blogspot.com