AN INDEPTH EXAMINATION OF AFRICA MISREPRESENTATION BY THE BROADCASTING MEDIA BETWEEN 2010 - 2023.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Public views and attitudes are significantly shaped by media depiction. Global perceptions of geographic areas, cultural traditions, and individuals are greatly influenced by broadcast media, which includes radio, television, and internet platforms. Promoting a balanced worldview, encouraging understanding, and battling prejudices all depend on accurate and fair depiction. On the other hand, false information in the media has the potential to spread prejudice, foster unfavorable stereotypes, and create misunderstandings.

The public's opinions and perceptions of various places and cultures are greatly influenced by the media. On the other hand, there has been debate on how the broadcast media portrays Africa; many contend that the continent is frequently inaccurately and stereotypically portrayed. According to research, the media frequently highlights unfavorable news about Africa, which feeds into detrimental clichés and preconceptions. As the main information source for millions of people globally, broadcast media has the ability to greatly affect perceptions. These media channels' narratives and content influence how consumers view different parts of the world and global challenges. Regarding Africa, worldwide broadcasters particularly those hailing from Western nations have played a significant role in shaping and propagating narratives and images of the region ( Lancey 2024)

The propagation of harmful stereotypes and prejudices, the upholding of colonialist and imperialist narratives, the distortion of African cultures and experiences, the absence of diverse and nuanced representation, and the inadequate coverage of African achievements and success stories are just a few of the negative effects that have been linked to this misrepresentation The (Glasgow University Media Group, 2020). It is important to comprehend how the broadcast media misrepresents Africa for a number of reasons. First of all, it emphasizes the necessity of more truthful, impartial reporting that takes into account the reality of the continent. Second, it emphasizes how media narratives affect public opinion, foreign policy, and policymaking. Thirdly, it supports further initiatives to encourage diversity in international narrative and decolonize representation in the media.

Concerns about how Africa is portrayed in the international media have existed for a while. Africa has always been portrayed primarily as a continent plagued by underdevelopment, sickness, conflict, and poverty. The continent's great cultural diversity, untapped economic potential, and achievements are overshadowed by such portrayals. This biased representation, which has been supported by international media and can be linked to colonial narratives, has an impact on how the rest of the world perceives Africa (Hawk, 2013). The media environment underwent substantial changes between 2010 and 2023, with the emergence of digital media and the growing significance of social media among them. The broadcast media's persistent distortion of Africa remains, nonetheless, in spite of these developments.

Furthermore, viewers everywhere have a limited and skewed awareness of global concerns as a result of the absence of fair and impartial media coverage. It presents a one-dimensional and frequently false picture of Africa by ignoring its many realities and nuanced stories. Consequently, this makes it more difficult to handle global issues in a cooperative and equitable manner since it perpetuates an antiquated and oversimplified division between the "developed" and "developing" worlds. The broadcast media's misrepresentation of Africa is a serious problem that impacts not just how people view the continent but also its standing in the world and future prospects for development. This study aims to provide light on the fundamental causes, trends, and effects of media bias by looking closely at this phenomenon from 2010 to 2023. The ultimate objective is to encourage more truthful and fair media portrayals that respect Africa's diversity and complexity.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Africa has always been portrayed in the media as a continent rife with corruption, sickness, poverty, and conflict. This one-dimensional representation reinforces negative preconceptions while ignoring the diversity and complexity of African societies. Studies have demonstrated the enduring nature of these prejudices, which have developed over centuries due to colonial narratives that portrayed Africa as "the Dark Continent" in need of education and intervention from the West. Africa's representation in the media has long been a source of controversy, with many detractors claiming that stereotypes and unfavorable visuals frequently misrepresent the continent. This problem has remained from 2010 to 2023, impacting aid and international relations as well as attitudes around the world (The Glasgow University Media Group, (2020)

The historical backdrops of colonial narratives that portrayed Africa as the "Dark Continent" in need of intervention and civilization are profoundly ingrained in the distortion of the region. These misconceptions have endured into the modern day, showing up in the media's depiction of Africa as a continent plagued by corruption, sickness, poverty, and conflict (Hawk, 2013). These preconceptions persisted in dominating coverage in Western media between 2010 and 2023. Crises, like the 2014 Ebola outbreak, political unrest, and humanitarian catastrophes were frequently featured in reports, but good things and success stories were frequently missed. For example, a research discovered that the Ebola outbreak was mostly covered by Western media, emphasizing chaos and terror rather than the resilient and successful local responses of the impacted populations (Fair, 2018)

Nigeria's foreign policy decisions and actions have been largely shaped by domestic interests and regional dynamics, with little regard for the implications of globalization on its national interests, despite the country's growing integration into the global economy and participation in international relations (Gajjala & Gajjala,.2020).. Thus, it is imperative to investigate and resolve the reasons behind and effects of the broadcast media's distortion of Africa from 2010 to 2023. This investigation has to look for the structural elements and underlying biases that underlie these representations in order to assess how they affect international relations, Africa's development prospects, and the continent's reputation worldwide. By doing this, the research hopes to promote fair and equitable media portrayal that reflects the genuine richness and potential of the continent, so contributing to a more accurate and nuanced knowledge of Africa. In the context of globalization, this study will draw attention to the shortcomings and difficulties in Nigeria's foreign policy and offer a clear path forward for future research.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

This study aims to investigate the ways in which the broadcast media has misrepresented Africa from 2010 to 2023 in great detail. The following particular goals serve as the study's guidelines in order to accomplish this main goal:

Compare the amount and context of news about Africa that are favorable and negative. 

To look into the ownership, funding, and journalistic procedures of the media as well as other elements that contribute to Africa's portrayal. 

Assess the impact of the predominance of Western media on how Africa is portrayed around the world. 

To assess how well current initiatives to support truthful and impartial portrayals of Africa in the media are working. 

To look into the ownership, funding, and journalistic procedures of the media as well as other elements that contribute to Africa's portrayal. 

1.4 Research Questions

Contrast the quantity and tone of positive and negative news reports on Africa.

Investigating the ownership, financial support, and journalistic practices of the media in addition to other factors that influence how Africa is portrayed. 

Assess how the global portrayal of Africa is influenced by the dominance of Western media. 

To assess the effectiveness of ongoing efforts to promote objective and truthful depictions of Africa in the media. 

To investigate media ownership, funding, and journalistic practices, as well as other factors influencing how Africa is portrayed. 

1.5 Significance of the Study

This research will benefit Africans as it set a comparison of the context of news concerning Africa that is favorable and negative. The study takes a careful look at the ownership, funding and procedures of media likewise elements to culminate to Africa’s portrayal. This work is aim at bringing to the fore front impacts of the predominance of Western media on how Africa is being projected around the globe. It will covey insights on how well current initiatives to support truthful and impartial portrayal of Africa in the media are working.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The project will examine how different African nations are portrayed in the media, with the goal of offering a comprehensive picture of how the continent should be portrayed. The media's prevailing themes and narratives such as those about poverty, violence, illness, economic growth, cultural diversity, and innovation will receive special focus. African reporters and media professionals roles in challenging stereotypes, the effectiveness of current efforts to promote true representation, the effect of media deception on Africa's image, inaccuracies and misinformation in media reporting, lack of diversity and representation in media ownership and production, and stereotypes and biases in media representation will all be examined in this study. The study focuses on a timeframe from 2010 to 2023, tracking chain of events.

1.7 Limitations of the Study

The study focuses only on Africa, eliminating other regions and continents that can have distinct media representation patterns. It also depends on publicly available data and media reporting, which may be partial, biased, or wrong. The study is mostly concerned with media in the English language. It is possible that significant information in other languages will go unnoticed, which could restrict how comprehensively the study captures the range of media representation in Africa. Understanding cultural backgrounds and nuances which might differ greatly between African regions is necessary for interpreting media content. A superficial grasp of culture might lead to misinterpretations.

1.8 Research Methodology

The study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining historical and qualitative research approaches to provide an in-depth examination of the subject, in light of the project's broad geographical reach. The study relies on secondary source materials given the subject under study.

1.9 Definition of Terms

Broadcasting media: The term "broadcasting media" refers to the companies and platforms that use a variety of channels to provide news, entertainment, and information to a large audience. These channels include cable television, satellite broadcasting, radio, television, podcasting, internet radio, and online streaming services like YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu.

Stereotype: is an overly simplified and often inaccurate belief or assumption about a group of people, based on limited or inaccurate information.