Media representations of Africa: Still the same old story?
This article will firstly explore the concepts of representations and stereotypes, and examine the role they play in the media information production process. The focus will then change to looking at some common themes and the more well-worn representations in news. Finally, we conclude with suggest...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Centre for Global Education
2007-04-01
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| Series: | Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review |
| Online Access: | https://www.developmenteducationreview.com/issue/issue-4/media-representations-africa-still-same-old-story |
| _version_ | 1819212114052513792 |
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| author | Michael Mahadeo Joe McKinney |
| author_facet | Michael Mahadeo Joe McKinney |
| author_sort | Michael Mahadeo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article will firstly explore the concepts of representations and stereotypes, and examine the role they play in the media information production process. The focus will then change to looking at some common themes and the more well-worn representations in news. Finally, we conclude with suggestions about what educators can do to redress the imbalance where possible.
The idea for this paper has come out of frustration at the continuing patronising and stereotyped images of people and places in the Majority world. However, it is Africa in particular, which got our attention, as it was 2005, and that summer the focus had been on ‘saving’ the continent, and ‘Making Poverty History’. Much has been written and analysed on the theme of media images and the ‘Third World’, but it seems the media are, as David Cromwell and David Edwards claim (2005), “unable or unwilling to tell the truth about the real causes of the problems facing us” especially the underlying structural causes.
The controversies around media images and themes depicting the way in which the ‘developing’ world is portrayed, have been going on since the mid 1970s (Cohen, 2001, in Manzo, 2006). With the cultural space opening up from the 1960s onwards, around representations of gender, ethnicity and class, amongst others, the stage was set for questioning Third World imagery and its connotations in post-colonial times. The focus was on news reportage and charity with its “images of helplessness, dependency and suffering…” (Cohen, 2001, p.178 cited in Manzo, 2006, p.9).
One of the early research groups in the UK to pioneer media content research, and remain prolific in their critique is the Glasgow University Media Group. We agree with their assertion, that “there is a strong current in contemporary research, which suggests that the media are engaged in the mass production of social ignorance” (Philo, 2002). We have also seen over time, how students react and express themselves about issues involving Africa and other ‘Third World’ places, and are dismayed at the survival of outmoded stereotypes in spite of being in a information rich environment, where we are supposed to have more informed choice than previously. |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2053-4272 2053-4272 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T06:37:49Z |
| publishDate | 2007-04-01 |
| publisher | Centre for Global Education |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review |
| spelling | doaj.art-d1d7afcce26d4d63835f5bf2422a7a1f2022-12-21T17:56:46ZengCentre for Global EducationPolicy and Practice: A Development Education Review2053-42722053-42722007-04-0141420Media representations of Africa: Still the same old story?Michael MahadeoJoe McKinneyThis article will firstly explore the concepts of representations and stereotypes, and examine the role they play in the media information production process. The focus will then change to looking at some common themes and the more well-worn representations in news. Finally, we conclude with suggestions about what educators can do to redress the imbalance where possible. The idea for this paper has come out of frustration at the continuing patronising and stereotyped images of people and places in the Majority world. However, it is Africa in particular, which got our attention, as it was 2005, and that summer the focus had been on ‘saving’ the continent, and ‘Making Poverty History’. Much has been written and analysed on the theme of media images and the ‘Third World’, but it seems the media are, as David Cromwell and David Edwards claim (2005), “unable or unwilling to tell the truth about the real causes of the problems facing us” especially the underlying structural causes. The controversies around media images and themes depicting the way in which the ‘developing’ world is portrayed, have been going on since the mid 1970s (Cohen, 2001, in Manzo, 2006). With the cultural space opening up from the 1960s onwards, around representations of gender, ethnicity and class, amongst others, the stage was set for questioning Third World imagery and its connotations in post-colonial times. The focus was on news reportage and charity with its “images of helplessness, dependency and suffering…” (Cohen, 2001, p.178 cited in Manzo, 2006, p.9). One of the early research groups in the UK to pioneer media content research, and remain prolific in their critique is the Glasgow University Media Group. We agree with their assertion, that “there is a strong current in contemporary research, which suggests that the media are engaged in the mass production of social ignorance” (Philo, 2002). We have also seen over time, how students react and express themselves about issues involving Africa and other ‘Third World’ places, and are dismayed at the survival of outmoded stereotypes in spite of being in a information rich environment, where we are supposed to have more informed choice than previously.https://www.developmenteducationreview.com/issue/issue-4/media-representations-africa-still-same-old-story |
| spellingShingle | Michael Mahadeo Joe McKinney Media representations of Africa: Still the same old story? Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review |
| title | Media representations of Africa: Still the same old story? |
| title_full | Media representations of Africa: Still the same old story? |
| title_fullStr | Media representations of Africa: Still the same old story? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Media representations of Africa: Still the same old story? |
| title_short | Media representations of Africa: Still the same old story? |
| title_sort | media representations of africa still the same old story |
| url | https://www.developmenteducationreview.com/issue/issue-4/media-representations-africa-still-same-old-story |
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