Otherizing Space and Cultures: The American Media's Coverage of President Bill Clinton's Visit to Ghana in 1998

Abstract

Against the backdrop of the historical images of Africa in the West, this article explores the experience of contemporary Ghana in the American media. It focuses especially on the media's coverage of President Bill Clinton's visit to Ghana in 1998 and uses same to portray how space is otherized and concrete cultures fictionalized. It argues that to a large extent, the role of the American media in Africa is founded on myths, stereotypical images, and racial bias. These elements constitute the epistemological basis of the Western media's production of knowledge on Africa. With ample examples, the paper establishes the various forms of otherness which Africa is made to assume, all of which situates the continent in a Hobbesian world, thus distorting the essentially holistic image of Africa's rich cultural heritage and the many positive elements of its contemporary society.


(The Journal of Cultural Studies: 2001 3(1): 74-89)