Africans must change their negative media image By Maidei Jenny Magirosa THE standard stereotype of Africa as a place of major natural catastrophes such as floods, volcanic eruptions, droughts, hunger, civil and violent social conflicts has dominated the Western media. Numerous specific stereotyped representations and images of Africa have accumulated over a long period of time. Such negative information is seen as knowledge in the Western minds. In 2009, Lutz Mükke, a German publisher, noted that one journalist covered an average of 33 African countries and all he did was look for easy negative stereotypes because that makes news. These images in Germany originated in the colonial era and are still being reconfirmed by TV or advertising. They call it news to inform, educate and entertain Germans and others. In 1985, we saw a picture of Bob Geldof in Ethiopia with pictures of starving children, flies, sad and skinny people sitting and waiting to die. Then Bob Geldof the whiteman comes towering above everyone else to save the Africans. Even though poverty does exist, gone are the miserable pictures associated with Ethiopia and Africa as a whole. The Kenyan writer, Binyavanga Wainaina wrote an ironic article mocking the Western writers in his article titled: ‘How to write about Africa’. He wrote: “In your text, treat Africa as if it were one country. “Don’t get bogged down with precise descriptions. “Africa is big: 54 countries, 900 million people who are too busy starving and dying and warring and emigrating to read your book.” It is unfortunate that at times there is a silent complicity of African reporters and intellectuals with the Western media. They want to please the people who pay their salaries so they will say negative information about their own home countries. In this case, we Africans have ourselves to blame for perpetuating the negative stereotypes. According to the writer, Mo Ibrahim, “Most of the times, Africans portray themselves as victims of forces they had little control of, finding solace in the narrative of slavery and colonialism in an attempt to exonerate themselves from blame.” The negative publicity of a country like Zimbabwe ignores the fact that there was massive inequality in land ownership. As one Zimbabwean writer has noted, “Britain reneged on sponsorship of land reform. The small community of largely European immigrants and their descendants (colonisers) maintained their hold on prime land. “To ensure the Africans suffer for their ‘uppity’ quest for land, Britain roped in EU and USA to make the economy ‘scream’.” Like many countries in Europe, Africa also has growing cities, shopping malls, internet cafes and restaurants. Today Ethiopia hosts the African Union. Africa is the fastest growing continent, with a growing population and an emerging middle class fast consuming goods and services. The continent is emerging and fully embracing globalisation and confidently speaking back to the former colonisers about the wealth of her soil and minerals. It is time we reverse the negative trend in the press, radio and television which has resulted in the negative image of Africa, based on assumptions, stereotypes and prejudices. Indeed, even some prominent people in Europe are acknowledging the need for change. Oxfam chief executive Dame Barbara Stocking said: “Oxfam has led the way in drawing attention to the plight of Africa’s most vulnerable people and we aren’t trying to gloss over the problems that still beset so many of them, particularly levels of malnutrition that remain stubbornly high. thepatriot.co.zw
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 15:53:29 +0000