There is one issue that I find particularly upsetting in journalism. This issue is the lack of diverse and equitable story coverage. This problem is prevalent in both domestic and international coverage.
On the first of this month, militiamen stormed a refugee camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo and took the lives of at least 60. The next day, on the other side of the country, an electrified cable came loose in a market and killed 26.
These events were both major losses of civilian life that received little international coverage and even less coverage from U.S. media networks. These events did not receive any coverage on the websites of CNN, FOX, MSNBC, ABC, and NPR. If either incident had occurred in western Europe, I would wager the story would be in our headlines today.
It is clear to any avid consumer of media that countries in Europe receive a greater share of coverage than countries in Africa. While a simple conclusion for this disparity may include press freedom and ease of access, I believe they are not the primary influencing factors. As we can see in the cases of Ukraine and Afghanistan, reporting in a corrupt and dangerous country is possible, albeit with risks.
The next step is to consider the relevancy of this news to U.S. media consumers. There are undoubtedly historical and cultural ties between the United States and Europe (particularly western Europe). These ties are reflected in our foreign policy and celebrity followings.
Another factor has to do with economics. Europeans on average, have a high standard of living, which is comparable to the United States. These same opportunities are not as often found in Africa. Many countries in Africa have high unemployment rates. The World Bank estimated that 433 million Sub-Saharan Africans were living in extreme poverty in 2018.
Most U.S. citizens can trace their ancestry to Europe and share physical similarities with Europeans, the most obvious is skin tone. Many find it easier to empathize with people who look like them and have similar lives. Looking through this lens is disastrous, because there are billions of people who do not fit into this framework.
The problem of underreporting Africa in journalism may very well trace back to the consumption habits of domestic media consumers. There is little incentive for media institutions to send reporters after stories that their readers and viewers are not interested in. It may be simply that, media consumers in the U.S. are not interested in reports on African peoples in African countries.
Race, lifestyle, and economic status should not play such a centralized role in media coverage. A person’s personal wealth is not a representation of their societal value. Not reporting on people because of who they are and where they live perpetuates racism, discrimination and xenophobia. There can be no political will to solve a problem if the problem has not been documented and shared. It is essential that the media report on a wide range of issues in a wide range of places.
This problem helps us to realize the power media institutions have. They are the gatekeepers of information. They decide what information is newsworthy and what information is not. It is the job of a journalist to remain independent and unbiased in their story coverage. They cannot allow personal biases to influence the story-building process.
Leave a Reply