I have observed how Nigerians always blame the western media for painting Nigeria bad. A lot of Nigerians always claim on NL, that things are not that "bad" at home, it's the western media that "exaggerate Nigeria and it's woes".

How does the western media paint Nigeria bad?

Does it mean the western media always give false news (things that didn't happen) about Nigeria?

Do you think the so called "western media" doesn't broadcast the negative or bad events going on in their own societies?

Thousands of Nigerians rushed to this forum to post about what he or she witnessed, and will be yearning for it to make frontpage and the same people will not remember that FOREIGNERS (media &undercover folks) monitors all the local websites, which helps them to know better and feel the purse of the youths in the country.

E.g, when you'll be asking NL's " what's the electric situation like in your area" and over 20 people will narrate how they've been living in darkness (unknowingly to you, you've given the "WESTERN MEDIA" situation report and PAINTING NIGERIA BAD TOO)and no IMPROVEMENT of any kind.

What GOOD is happening in Nigeria that you expected the "western media" to broadcast and they didn't? The only thing going on is "BOKOHARAM INSTITUTE for STRATEGIC BOMBING" and the " western media" is covering their activities very well.


All over the world, the media is BIAS and the "western media" is not an EXCEPTION.

FYI, the "western media" is you NL's, stop looking in the wrong direction.

It is the western media that have been, and have always been anti-African. On NL, when twenty people say they have seen no light, something like 50 or more people will say the light has improved, but the western media will report the former and ignore the latter. Don't blame NL for that. Do you know in all the years I have been watching CNN and BBC etc, I've never seen a decent house in Africa being shown on their screen? If I was not an African I would think there were no proper houses in Africa, and that everyone lived in shanties or huts. It is deliberate misrepresentation of the continent in order to ridicule black people. No two ways about it.

Something else you'll notice is, when CNN for instance wants to feature a poor African in a story, they start by showing his shanty house from the outside before moving in to encounter the subject. But if the subject is a well to do person or group in a decent house, they'll home in straight into the internal scene or room, without showing the exterior of the building.

Rossikk: It is the western media that have been, and have always been anti-African. On NL, when twenty people say they have seen no light, something like 50 or more people will say the light has improved, but the western media will report the former and ignore the latter. Don't blame NL for that. Do you know in all the years I have been watching CNN and BBC etc, I've never seen a decent house in Africa being shown on their screen? If I was not an African I would think there were no proper houses in Africa, and that everyone lived in shanties or huts. It is deliberate misrepresentation of the continent in order to ridicule black people. No two ways about it.

Something else you'll notice is, when CNN for instance wants to feature a poor African in a story, they start by showing his shanty house from the outside before moving in to encounter the subject. But if the subject is a well to do person or group in a decent house, they'll home in straight into the internal scene or room, without showing the exterior of the building.

You are correct about your assertions but I put "very little" blames on the western media. And why Must the western media be the ones to telecast events and happenings in Africa to you and I? What have Africans done to broadcast themselves rather than waiting for someone from another continent to do it for them?

Do you think the Westerners were saying something good of China before now? If not for the like of CCtv(Central China Television) that took the bull by on by going international in different languages and showcasing what they've got contrary to what the western media were transmitting to the world.
Thanks to the likes of Press TV(Iran), Aljazeera(U.A.E) for bringing up cover-ups and lies the western media were used to telling us about the middle east.

What is the first TV Network in Africa(NTA) that should have a good reflector of Nigeria's image doing concerning this?
The audio and graphics quality are enough to make international viewers conclude that Africa is in a sorry case and a big hell hole. I'm sure the NTA should have been the TV station representing Africa had it been those in charge of it before(NTA Ibadan) were still in charge.

Thanks to the private ones like channelsTV, Galaxy TV, AIT and the rest for making effort in eradicating these lazy acts, wish they have the resources and strength the NTA has.
Africans shouldn't expect anyone, nation to speak for them like cry babies, the speaking must be done for and by us

$£yi:


You are correct about your assertions but I put "very little" blames on the western media. And why Must the western media be the ones to telecast events and happenings in Africa to you and I? What have Africans done to broadcast themselves rather than waiting for someone from another continent to do it for them?

Do you think the Westerners were saying something good of China before now? If not for the like of CCtv(Central China Television) that took the bull by on by going international in different languages and showcasing what they've got contrary to what the western media were transmitting to the world.
Thanks to the likes of Press TV(Iran), Aljazeera(U.A.E) for bringing up cover-ups and lies the western media are used to telling us about the middle east.

What is the first TV Network in Africa(NTA) that should have a good reflector for Nigeria's image doing concerning this?
The audio and graphics quality are enough to make international viewers conclude that Africa is sorry case and a big hell hole. I'm sure the NTA should have been the TV station representing Africa had it been those in charge of it(NTA Ibadan) were still in charge of it.

Thanks to the private ones like channelsTV, Galaxy TV, AIT and the rest for making effort in eradicating these lazy act, wish they have the resources and strength the NTA has.
Africans shouldn't expect anyone, nation to speak for them like cry babies, the speaking must done for and by us

I agree with you that we should do more to address the issue, but the first step is to acknowledge that we are being thoroughly misrepresented, which is what the discussion is about. Also, I do not believe that China was subjected to the same grotesque level of misrepresentation as Africa was, before they set up CCTV. Africa is uniquely misrepresented by western media.

Rossikk: I agree with you that we should do more to address the issue, but the first step is to acknowledge that we are being thoroughly misrepresented, which is what the discussion is about. Also, I do not believe that China was subjected to the same grotesque level of misrepresentation as Africa was, before they set up CCTV. Africa is uniquely misrepresented by western media.

Okay, you and I have admitted that Africa is being wrongly represented by the western media, is that the answer or solution to it? Acknowledging it is not the solution but doing what's necessary to change it by ourselves(Africans)

$£yi:


Okay, you and I have admitted that Africa is being wrongly represented by the western media, is that the answer or solution to it? Acknowledging it is not the solution but doing what's necessary to change it by ourselves(Africans)

Acknowledgement is a vital first step which you are overlooking. You'll be surprised at the number of Africans, including those in 'high places', who don't see the misrepresentation as a problem. For instance, many of us have this idea that ''if we put our house in order'' the western media wouldn't have negative images to depict. It needs to be explained to such people that negative perceptions cause a vicious cycle. Persistently being depicted as hopeless keeps away investors who will inject the private capital required to advance your economy, keeps away tourists who will inject capital directly into the street economy, etc etc. So we need to sell it to ourselves first, the importance of promoting the best aspects of the continent, before thinking of selling it to foreigners, or else any such new presentations will be haphazard. When we finally imbibe the importance of positive projection, and directly link it with our progress and advancement, nobody will need to tell us to set up our own CNN or Al Jazeera. At the moment, we just don't think it's an important enough issue. That's the main problem.

Afam4eva: While i believe that the western media can be over zealous when reporting negative news of Africa but i believe it's Africans themselves that are giving themselves a bad name. Was it the western media that formed bokoharam or that sent kidnappers and armed robbers just to give us a bad name? I think it's time we started taking responsibilities for our actions and inactions and stop blaming others.

The question is not about Boko Haram. It is about the lack of reporting BALANCE. Is Boko Haram the only thing going on in Nigeria? By your own words, you contribute to the nonsense we're talking about here, where the goings-on in a whole nation of 170 million is reduced to the monthly acts of a couple hundred vandals.

Is every report you see about America focused on its gun crime that kills 20 times more people a year than Boko Haram? No. You will read/hear a bit of that, PLUS all the other news that keep America ticking, from Wall Street news to Disneyworld, the Kardasians, and the 'Big Apple'; and from Obama's love for basketball to Michelle's latest hairdo and fancy dinner gown. But African news? If it is not Boko Haram, it is Somali pirates or Darfur. Or the fast depleting elephant population in the Serengeti.

@ Rossikk
Any African literate I assume knows Africa is misrepresentation by the western media.
Yes we are not taking it important and that's why we are going to continue being misrepresented until we take actions to reduce it.

Our leaders are responsible for the negative PR we generate as a nation and not the western media. If we put our house in order, whether or not they report only negativities, our light would shine through, period.

omenka: Our leaders are responsible for the negative PR we generate as a nation and not the western media. If we put our house in order, whether or not they report only negativities, our light would shine through, period.

There we go. Your light will shine through by magic abi?

Your light will never shine through anything unless INFORMATION is disseminated through reasonably mainstream channels that can reach enough of the global public to make a difference.

Oh, and part of ''putting your house in order'' is disseminating/broadcasting INFORMATION about the progress being made in your country, in order to generate positive interest and investment in your economy.

@OP

BAD NEWS SELL's