“ CNN is the 16 th member of the Security Council” – Boutros Ghali , 1995 . As we approach the millennium , with the triumph of the United States over Russia , capitalism over socialism and the market over planning, the depiction of Africa through the centuries has not changed considerably . Africa has been portrayed as the dark continent in need of civilising, and its heathen peoples in need of enlightenment through enslavement and colonisation . Africa has been presented as a continent in the difficult throes of trying to become more like the societies of the Western Hemisphere . From the era of Africa’ s enslavement and colonial rule , traders, missionaries, adventurers and explorers have all played a role in perpetuating and disseminating certain images of Africa . These images have on the whole been negative . With the formal independence of most African countries in the 1950 s and ’ 60 s , anthropologists and modernisation theorists helped to portray a view of the dark , exotic Africa as being “ emergent Africa. ” The 1970 s saw an image of “ dependant Africa, ” advocated by the dependency theorists who used the concept and theory of dependence in analysing Latin America, to understand Africa’ s underdevelopment . In the 1980 s and ’90 s Africa has not only been portrayed has dependent Africa but as “ crisis and pitiable Africa. ” Whilst from the 16 th century to the 19th century, colonial administrators , missionaries and merchants were largely responsible for disseminating ideas about Africa , today this dissemination is carried out by various forms of print and electronic media : newspapers, television, radio and the Internet . Misinformation about Africa has become a growth industry in the West . A vocabulary of metaphors is used in describing Africa . For example, “ black on black violence” is a euphemism the Western press used in writing about South Africa in the 1980 s , yet British journalists do not report on “ white on white violence” when reporting the conflict in Northern Ireland. Most Westerners have never visited Africa and may never visit the continent . Yet there is a particular image of Africa in the Western mind. When one is asked to think of Western images that come to mind when thinking of Africa, the overall mental images are of primeval irrationality , tribal anarchy, hunger/ famine, civil war , managerial ineptitude , political instability , flagrant corruption and incompetent leadership . These mental images of Africa have their deep roots in a historical relationship of slavery and colonialism which was imposed on the continent . It was a relationship which defined Africa and Africans as culturally, intellectually, politically and technically backward and inferior. These ideas continue to permeate the perspectives Western journalists , editors and academics adopt when writing about Africa. More recently there has been open talk of recolonizing Africa . In an editorial entitled “ Weep for the Lost Continent , ” the Independent on Sunday claimed : “ Africa is so much without hope that it is difficult to believe that it can help itself . If western countries had the will they could recolonise the continent which they left in such haste . The Japanese and the Germans could run Africa, using the British , as professional ex- colonists, as their official agents .”( 1 ) In the Spectator, Paul Johnson ’ s went as far as to say : “ What the third world needs is a new form of imperialism : altruistic, internationally supervised , efficient and tough - minded … the factors which will permit the revival of colonialism are in place .”( 2 ) Patrick Marnham “ wonders whether Africa can ever be governable” and claims that “ in Africa no known system of government works ,”( 3) whilst Robert Kaplan warned US government officials of an impending anarchy of social disease , environmental decay, population explosion and civil war, commencing in Sierra Leone and embroiling the twenty -first century. Calling for the recolonization of Africa by the Western media and academic community is an alarming and highly dangerous trend . It is a view that is as nonsensical and it is patronising and racist. It is an analysis which seeks to blame the victims and deflect any focus on the role Europe has played in the bloody mess of Africa . These views are nothing but a modernised repackaging of the British colonial view of Africa and Africans as incapable of managing their own affairs . What all these views fail to take into account are the deep -rooted causes of the disintegration of the African state, which was undoubtedly exacerbated by the coming to power of an African elite which colluded with French , British , American governments and multinational companies to bleed African economies through Western imposed neo- liberal economic reforms. Certainly, Africa has ruthless and corrupt Moi’ s , Mobutu ’ s , Bokassa ’ s , but these leaders have been propped up ( and in Mobutu’ s case, installed) by Western governments . This is never given adequate coverage by the Western media . Western news reporting in general is often portrayed as being neutral and impartial , and the journalist as a neutral and balanced arbiter. There is still a popular misconception that anything written or seen on television is true. This is often a huge myth which needs to be exploded . Firstly, “ information ” does not exist in an ideological vacuum . Information on Africa is often presented without a historical and analytical context to explain the roots of a conflict. On account of this lack of historical and analytical examination, most Western reports resort to attributing all conflicts in Africa to primordial irrationality and “ tribalism ” Secondly , “ information ” of reporting on Africa sometimes underlies or informs Western governments ’ foreign policies . How television images of starving Somalis in 1991 - 2 led to the US government ’s military intervention will be examined later as a prime example of how the media can and do have a direct influence on government policy . Thirdly , “ information ” also plays a big role in the formation of Western public opinion, both sympathetic and negative , towards Africa and African people. The image of “ Africa needing help, ” was the dominant image during the 1984 Ethiopian famine and Band Aid was an international response motivated by Western public sympathy . Fourthly “ information ” is not neutral . The mass media is not neutral in the news it chooses to disseminate on Africa . Imperialist and racist attitudes are often reflected in the angle and more often than not , the language it employs. I shall now examine how the Western media covered the conflicts in Somalia from 1991- 1993 and Rwanda from 1994 to 1995 . I have selected these two countries because they are highly interesting in themselves and show the interplay between three sets of Western institutions : the news media , governments and humanitarian organisations . These two conflicts also provide some concrete examples of the gross misrepresentations of issues and images of Africans. In looking at Rwanda and Somalia as case studies, we have to ask four important questions . Firstly, how did the Western media portray these two conflicts? Secondly , what were the real issues that were concealed in the media ’ s misrepresentations ? Thirdly , what kind of language was used to represent the issues? Finally, how did the media attention link with Western governments ’ policymaking and Western humanitarian responses ?
Better for lion to die honorably in the jungle, than in the city,as a pet.

kwana biyu

Africas problem is leadership and noting more as long as we keep getting it wrong at that aspect Africa will never develop, and wen I say leadership I'm not just taking about the president and governors I'm talking about every single leadership position

ajumma:
kwana biyu

Lafiya lau.

I had only been silent these days, reading some stupid comments of "US worshipers" who find it hard to realise that West does not care about their existence.

I see how some sane people try to enlighten them about West and Russia and about white people at large.

KingEverest:
Africas problem is leadership and noting more as long as we keep getting it wrong at that aspect Africa will never develop, and wen I say leadership I'm not just taking about the president and governors I'm talking about every single leadership position

Africa problem is mentality and not leadership.

We have the mentality to always vote our tribesman irrespective of how bad he is then we come back and blame leadership

Africans will rather protest and destroy their country instead of doing something good

Africans have inferiority complex and hates themselves, their culture, belief, leaders etc.

Inflation hits everyone but Africans/Nigerians will rather use it yo ridicule their continent

KingEverest:
Africas problem is leadership and noting more as long as we keep getting it wrong at that aspect Africa will never develop, and wen I say leadership I'm not just taking about the president and governors I'm talking about every single leadership position

I understand you.

But do you think white leaders are saner?

Michelle70:
Africa problem is mentality and not leadership.

We have the mentality to always vote our tribesman irrespective of how bad he is,
Africans will rather protest and destroy their country instead of doing something good

I'm saying the same tin we can't get the right people into leadership positions

Khaleepha5681:


I understand you.

But do you think white leaders are saner?

whites are not saner they are even more corrupt but the difference is that they steal from other countries and invest in their country while African leaders do the opposite

KingEverest:

I'm saying the same tin we can't get the right people into leadership positions

then its not leadership but our mentality of not trying to move the country forward

.

The problem is a lot of things wrapped up in "Religion" and "Tribal Sentiments"
- Lack of Purposeful Vision
- Lack of Leadership with foresight

You see, there's a way we Nigerians see each other, it's always "we" against "them"

But the ultimate Problem holding us back as a country is "Poverty" and "Greed"

Then there's the entitlement mentality again.... we always want favours for no just reason.

Then there's corruption which is an offspring of poverty and entitlement mentality.

Zaheertyler:
Our leaders were fooled by the whites
In real sense wetin we Dey find for IMF and all this other bodies
Why can’t we form our own
Africans have always seen themselves as suffering people because the west instilled that mentality in them so they barely believe in themselves
Mentality i think is the problem
Even the leaders are products of this same system created by the west for us to live in
We need Gods grace and fearless people before we can truly break away

"God's grace"

KingEverest:
whites are not saner they are even more corrupt but the difference is that they steal from other countries and invest in their country while African leaders do the opposite

If they loot their country's treasure and invest on their people in the same nation, is it looting at all?

Because,according to our people, the leader must always be 'poor' for him to be considered "saint''. How can vote for the person that remain poor despite lucrative salaries and expect progress?

They chose progressive leaders,we chose saint leaders.

They chose patriotic ones,we chose godly leaders.

Hence, our leaders give us all we want,and so their leaders too.

Khaleepha5681:


If they loot their country's treasure and invest on their people in the same nation, is it looting at all?

Because,according to our people, the leader must always be 'poor' for him to be considered "saint''. How can vote for the person that remain poor despite lucrative salaries and expect progress?

They chose progressive leaders,we chose saint leaders.

They chose patriotic ones,we chose godly leaders.

Hence, our leaders give us all we want,and so their leaders too.

we don't choose any thing the whole system is rigged don't allow any body decieve you

Elitefosa:
The problem is a lot of things wrapped up in "Religion" and "Tribal Sentiments"
- Lack of Purposeful Vision
- Lack of Leadership with foresight

You see, there's a way we Nigerians see each other, it's always "we" against "them"

But the ultimate Problem holding us back as a country is "Poverty" and "Greed"

Then there's the entitlement mentality again.... we always want favours for no just reason.

Then there's corruption which is an offspring of poverty and entitlement mentality.

Poverty and Greed are not the problem.

Greed is not bad on its own. Being greed a bad or good thing depends. When you're greed for your country's benefit, you'll be termed 'patriot' in your country and racist,mad etc by the enemies of your country.

The problem is our mentality. We don't have media to reverse the damage.

KingEverest:
we don't choose any thing the whole system is rigged don't allow any body decieve you

If we don't chose, why do they spend a lotta money to persuade us voting for them?

Khaleepha5681:


Lafiya lau.

I had only been silent these days, reading some stupid comments of "US worshipers" who find it hard to realise that West does not care about their existence.

I see how some sane people try to enlighten them about West and Russia and about white people at large.

see one da wiwi heniford2 say him
wan used spiritual trace me ?
e think say northerners na jokers

Khaleepha5681:


If we don't chose, why do they spend a lotta money to persuade us voting for them?

that's the game now just to decieve the masses and they have succeeded see how convinced you are

Michelle70:
Africa problem is mentality and not leadership.

We have the mentality to always vote our tribesman irrespective of how bad he is then we come back and blame leadership

Africans will rather protest and destroy their country instead of doing something good

Africans have inferiority complex and hates themselves, their culture, belief, leaders etc.

Inflation hits everyone but Africans/Nigerians will rather use it yo ridicule their continent

We're together on this, though I'm not sure if we're right.

we need the likes of Nollywood to reverse the damages that Hollywood did to our people.

Then NTA etc to reverse the damages caused by CNN, BBC etc.

KingEverest:
that's the game now just to decieve the masses and they have succeeded see how convinced you are

I am not just convinced, I just believe that the system is not absolutely ineffective.

Our votes count,when we want them to count.

ajumma:


see one da wiwi heniford2 say him wan used spiritual trace me ? e think say northerners na jokers

Hhhh
Don't you ask him to use the same spiritualism to chat with you directly?

Khaleepha5681:


Poverty and Greed are not the problem.

Greed is not bad on its own. Being greed a bad or good thing depends. When you're greed for your country's benefit, you'll be termed 'patriot' in your country and racist,mad etc by the enemies of your country.

The problem is our mentality. We don't have media to reverse the damage.

Yea you are right!

I am talking about how we found ourselves as a country in terms of development though
Not as perceived by the western world or "oyibo" people...

That doesnt require MEDIA? what do you think?

Khaleepha5681:


I am not just convinced, I just believe that the system is not absolutely ineffective.

Our votes count,when we want them to count.

you go gree see I have a close friend who drives big men and politicians with convoys, he got an opportunity through connection to drive one of the commissioners inec sent to port Harcourt 2019, wen he started describing events that happens behind close doors we wept for Nigeria, guy u don't know how corrupt this country is that's d problem u are having wen hear and see thinhsy I'll give up on this country

Khaleepha5681:


Hhhh

Don't you ask him to use the same spiritualism to chat with you directly?

walahi kuwa.

@heniford2 pls use the same spiritualism to communicate with you directly.
so i can handcuff you easily.

KingEverest:
you go gree see I have a close friend who drives big men and politicians with convoys, he got an opportunity through connection to drive one of the commissioners inec sent to port Harcourt 2019, wen he started describing events that happens behind close doors we wept for Nigeria, guy u don't know how corrupt this country is that's d problem u are having wen hear and see thinhsy I'll give up on this country

(1)Your friend is not your close relative,the chance of lie is high

(2)He is just one person against many people, so you have just a single unverified source.

(3)You are not eyewitnesses..... you're not sure

(4)He is mere driver, so the chance of being the meeting attendee is lower.

Do you who am I? No.

Khaleepha5681:


(1)Your friend is not your close relative,the chance of lie is high

(2)He is just one person against many people, so you have just a single unverified source.

(3)You are not eyewitnesses..... you're not sure

(4)He is mere driver, so the chance of being the meeting attendee is lower.

Do you who am I? No.

so you want to tell me they don't rig election in Nigeria? You should have just told me you're agent for one of these politicians it political parties to save my time

Copy and paste gone wrong. I doubt OP would read the write-up if it was presented how he did. I can swear the Nairalanders commenting did not read it.