Promoting the image of Africa through media: the role of African leaders (case study of Nigeria)

Abstract

Media is the mirror through which people see the outside world. Media is information and information, they say, is power. The role of media in the obnoxious depiction of Africa and its people, which is mainly business-oriented, cannot be overemphasized. Innumerable negative reports and exaggerated stories have been intellectually presented, discussed and debated on both local and international media platforms with very wide or large audiences. This has affected Africans, especially how they are perceived and treated in the outside world and this has in turn caused emotional and psychological distress for Africans. What worsen the situation is the nonchalance of African leaders in taking adequate measures to put a stop to this stereotypical and Afro-pessimistic media exposure. This is why this study after examining the role of the Western media in stereotyping Africa through the Agenda-setting theory, and the sad experiences of Nigerians and other Africans in the diaspora gathered through interview, suggested roles that her leaders can play in promoting and rebranding the image of Africa and Nigeria in particular, in order to restore her glory before it descends into new lows. This paper therefore, presents the extent of this unfortunate portrayal of Africa to the rest of the world, how deep this has affected Africa and Africans negatively, the reasons for this negative connotations with Africa, and why the time is now not only for Africa to show to the world its profound histories and beautiful stories impeccably but also to strategically control the access and activities of researchers/ tourists/ media outlets in sensitive places within the continent. Also, how the African leaders can regain its image positively by promoting the real Africa to the world through Media.