In the Media

Last year, while researching a book about my aunt who lived in Lagos, London, and Paris in the late 1930s and early ’40s, I came across old newspaper clippings that captured some of the everyday details of life at the time in those cities. It triggered an epiphany: That newspapers weren’t just purveyors of news, they were time capsules, preserving the stories that documented life at any particular place and point in time.

Africa No Filter (ANF) is bringing a powerful message to this year’s World Economic Forum, calling on global leaders to move beyond rhetoric and forge meaningful partnerships with Africa. As world powers pledge “equal partnerships” and a brighter future for the continent, ANF’s new research, Building Partnerships in an Unequal World: Africa in the Political Discourses of the West, China, and Russia, reveals a stark gap between diplomatic speeches and tangible action. The report was covered by media across the African continent including in Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mali, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Togo.

The stories we tell—and the way we tell them—can shape perceptions, influence policy, and even affect social change. When storytelling embraces diverse, factual and empowering frame, it becomes a powerful tool for positive change and influence. It can also challenge stereotypes, broaden perspectives and foster empathy.

However, when a storyteller relies on a narrow, distorted, and negative frame, they often perpetuate stereotypes that reduce complex realities into oversimplified narratives.

Africa is often represented in Western media through a narrow lens dominated by negative storytelling rooted in themes of violence and poverty. This persistent practice has a tangible impact on the continent’s economy, resulting in measurable financial losses, says Nigeria’s Abimbola Ogundairo, Advocacy and Campaigns Lead at Africa No Filter, in an interview with Sputnik Africa.

The narrative of elections in Africa is typically one of the negative stereotypes that portray the continent as chaotic and illegitimate. Africa No Filter and fraycollege conducted research on how the story of elections in Africa is told. Through focus groups with senior journalists and content analysis of over 800 online articles from different African countries, we found that the words most commonly used when reporting on elections were corruption, violence, ethnic tension, unengaged youths, and fraud. The report was covered by print and online platforms across Africa, including Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, and South Africa.

While the high-level performers who participated in the Olympics and Paralympics had won their credentials through merit, what merit can the elites attending the UNGA in New York claim?

As the Paris Olympics (and Paralympics) end in Europe, another gathering is starting in New York that will bring together representatives from 193 of the world’s 195 countries.

ANF’s Moky Makura has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Africans of 2022. Thank you New African for recognizing the work we do. Go to page 54 to read the full feature.

The award-winning Nigerian journalist has held positions in top regional and global news and media houses including Agence France Presse, The Nation Media Group and The Standard Group.

Narrative-change organization Africa No Filter is challenging stereotypical news about Africa with its latest handbook, Why Change the Way We Write About Africa?A storyteller’s guide to reframing Africa.