LETTERS: What is required for the African journalist to tell the African story?

Editor, RE: “How should African media look like?” (The New Times, November 12). Africa is the source of great news that can change the world. No continent in the world that I know of can survive without Africa. As the world continues to shrink in to a global village, the more great news about big projects will be found in Africa. I want to say that there is no right-thinking investor that can underrate Africa as a destination for investment. Africans were not born poor and to suffer. The time for splashing “the African agony” on cover pages of western newspapers and magazines must be put to an end but this will not come on a silver platter. African media must stand up to the occasion and claim their place as the conveyors of the African story. They must show the world that Africa is rich and moving forward and ready to transact with anyone who sees opportunity. The media in Africa should be the eyes and the mouthpiece for its people. There should be a chain of command among media houses in Africa. Journalists should be recruited on merit based on professional ethos of journalists. They should be well remunerated to avoid the cancer of brown envelop syndrome which is likely to kill the media. The media in Africa ought to review some of the professional journalism ethics in the Western world. Journalists in Africa should promote our cultural values which are, in most cases, being contaminated through Western programmes. We need to have accuracy to promote trust among Africans. I would like to see African media houses at the forefront giving real information about the Western world; for instance, Africans would like to see the beggars and poor in Western countries in the media. African media should not just portray the Western world as heaven. The new paradigm in communication where information flows from bottom to top should be emphasised in African media. The media should reflect all African success in politics, economic and social life. The world should be educated about Africa, the media should portray Africa’s true history. Historians should authentically write about true African features like mountains, rivers, swamps and forests, which are unique all over the world. The media in Africa should employ qualified journalists and those without documents in this field should be given a chance to upgrade. Henry Mapesa

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LETTERS: What is required for the African journalist to tell the African story?