The media is the greatest tool that the world has today in influencing ideas and opinions. It is accessible to most people in one form or another. How the news is portrayed and what becomes news is determined by the media. It also influences how people think about a particular item or event by how the news is reported.  The western media has in most part portrayed the African continent as backwards and inferior in every aspect while glorifying the animals found in Africa. Most of the public in the Western world associate Africa with  poverty, disease and animals based on how news from Africa is reported. Good things happening in Africa is not news, but a continuous report about calamities, diseases and poverty is acceptable news. The same media portrays to the African a glamorised Western world; perhaps an ideal of what is good.  No wonder then that the African sees himself as inferior while the one from the west believes he is superior.

This is why the media from localized African countries have as of necessity a duty to campaign for Africa in order to change perspective on Africa. The media has to go further and plant seeds of pride and acceptance among Africans for themselves and their culture.  It should promote what is African and create a spirit of accountability by following up on issues that promote integrity and honor among Africans. The media should influence by suggestions and not just analysis. It should intentionally and consciously go out to promote anything and everything good about Africa. It must as of necessity start the process of influencing Africans to be proud of being Africans by exposing positive things about Africa and by continuously hailing good acts by Africans. The media in Africa should not report about its own people in the same way the Western media reports but should instead offer a different perspective that is liberating and honoring to the people of Africa.  

It was impressive to observe the American media after the so called “911″ incident. The media played a huge role in promoting patriotism and ensuring the nation remained or came together as one against a common enemy. They reported only what they thought would safeguard national interest and would promote the people’s support for the leadership. It also captured the moment to honor the firefighters and policemen, whom people take for granted, but never pause to consider the challenges they face in performing their duties. Immediately after the “911″ a fear of flying and buying groped the nation due to the uncertainty prevailing at the time. Once again the media was effective in changing the mood by interviewing the authorities on security issues, which authorities gave an assurance that they were in control. The media encouraged people to go out and spend their money and at the same time interviewed those who were spending, honoring spending money at such a time, as an act of patriotism and the best way to defeat the enemy. The media also worked on the emotions of the people and brought them together in assisting those affected by the tragedy. It reported positively on the leadership, and gave the president full support, thereby influencing the people’s support on the president.

In my opinion, the media in Africa has sometimes been in the forefront of confusing the people and perpetuating the negativity about Africa by their reporting. Sometimes the media has fallen prey to the whims of politicians and has encouraged divisive politics in their reporting. The media has either not understood its role of influencing positive change, or it has failed in this role. It is almost like the media assumes its role is only to report and offer some criticism when the opportunity arises. The last Kenyan election epitomizes how dangerous the media can be when it falls prey to the whims of politicians. Instead of unifying the country at a time when emotions were very raw, the Kenyan media actually helped in polarizing the nation even further by parading information that incited one tribe after the other.  Contrast this with the American Media in the “911” incident. This is why the media must stop reporting only the negatives but it must offer alternatives by reflecting on positive things done by Africans from all works of life. This way a spirit of patriotism may be born among Africans. It should also not condone acts of tribalism by analyzing leadership from a tribal perspective, but should instead start directing people to view leaders from a nationalistic perspective.