An alternative approach for African media

I recently read a New York Times opinion piece entitled "Africa's Free Press Problem" by Mohammed Keita and wondered which Africa he was writing about. Keita makes sweeping statements about the state of press freedom in Africa but ends up only citing the cases of Rwanda and Ethiopia.

The New York Times jumps to the simplistic conclusions about Africa that are typical of Western media reports, conveniently generalizing situations in one or two countries to frame a diverse, 54-nation continent with all manner of stereotypes. It is quite clear that emphasizing neo-liberal democratic ideals without considering the interests of African communities is one of the factors that fuels conflicts on the African continent. It is quite justifiable for the leaderships in countries such as Rwanda and Ethiopia to elevate unity and stability over the freedom of the oftentimes irresponsible, sensational and inflammatory press. The fact is the media could fuel a new round of warmongering leading to the kind of horrors witnessed in the 1994 Rwanda genocide. The possibility of a renewed Hutu-Tutsi war is never too far from the surface. It must be remembered that the media was used in the Rwanda to whip up deep-seated ethnic hatred, and this ethnic hatred was first planted through the divide and rule policies of Rwanda's colonizers.

When countries are faced with challenges to their very survival, a more nuanced balance between press freedom and the needs of development is necessary.