Media coverage blocks true view

Understanding of Africa and its relations with China can be improved by more collaborative journalism

A well-known African proverb that stresses the significance of collaboration and cooperation reads: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

With increasing globalization, the spread of news has become easier and more diversified, from traditional newspapers to Facebook to Twitter. However, this hasn't necessarily resulted in a truer and fuller picture of a place to those who live far from it. Sometimes it has even deepened misunderstanding and confusion.

Africa and China, and their relationship, face such challenges when they are presented to a global audience. As a journalist who has been covering African affairs for several years, I'm not attempting a one-size-fits-all solution or claiming that stories on Sino-African relations are all misconceived. I only want to say that the relationship between these two fast-growing regions could be better understood through media collaboration; that better journalism with a more collaborative approach will improve understanding and help realize the China-Africa dream.

"Always use the word 'Africa' or 'Darkness' or 'Safari' in your title. Subtitles may include the words 'Zanzibar', 'Masai', 'Zulu', 'Zambezi', 'Congo', 'Nile', 'Big', 'Sky', 'Shadow', 'Drum', 'Sun' or 'Bygone'. Also useful are words such as 'Guerrillas', 'Timeless', 'Primordial' and 'Tribal'. Note that 'People' means Africans who are not black, while 'The People' means black Africans."

This is a quote from an article "How to Write About Africa" by Kenyan author Binyavanga Wainaina, in which he summarized the major impressions of Africa written in various publications and research works during the last century. His sarcasm suggests that these are not portrayals of real Africa, especially not Africa today, but an Africa created by outsiders' imaginations and preconceptions.

If one asks an ordinary Chinese about the key words on Africa, the answer may not be as fulsome, but "safari" or "mystery" are likely to appear .

So how should Africa be described to those who have never been here? Duncan Clark, consultant environment editor for The Guardian newspaper, provides another take on how to write about contemporary Africa, one that stands in direct contrast to Wainaina's.

"First things first: pick a theme of unrestrained optimism," Clark says. "Shed any Afro-pessimism or proclivity for realpolitik. Use terms like 'dynamic', 'emergent', 'middle class' and 'last investment frontier'. Remember it's about unrestricted growth beyond history or capacity, since both are 'adjustable', the former by revisionism, the latter by 'new technology'.

"Go for catchy sound bites: 'Africa is rising', the 'African Century' or 'Africa's Moment'. Dwell only on what is going up, not what might go down. Remember, one's political risk is another's commercial treasure."

The above views represent the extremes when writing and reporting Africa today, deeply rooted stereotypes in different groups of people. Undoubtedly, they offer some meaningful or useful information about the continent and its people, but if opinions keep polarizing, potential investors or people with an interest in Africa may become confused or lost.

Stereotyping is harmful to Africa and to China-African relations, and avoiding it is a challenge when reporting on them.

If there was an article about how to write about China-Africa relations, based on the past decade's debate over Chinese engagement in Africa, judging by the mainly Western news reports and academic research, it would revolve around key issues such as labor abuses, poaching, low-quality commodities, lack of know-how and environmental degradation.

Admittedly, some Chinese companies and individuals cannot escape these accusations when they entered Africa, but tremendous progress and improvements have been made, if one takes a closer look at them now.

So where are we, the main participants of this relationship, today? There must be more topics and a wider perspective that can be offered by Chinese and African commentators and journalists, through their own observations and experience. That's why it's so critical for Chinese and African journalists to work with each other to provide more understanding and a fuller picture of this relationship.

The University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg is running a China-Africa Report Project under its Journalism Department, calling on journalists to observe and write stories related to the bilateral relationship.

Project director Brigitte Read said reports on the China-Africa relationship have for a long time either been too positive or too negative, depending on the writer or the media's stance. She believes the project rather than engendering a more neutral viewpoint, will promote better and more professional journalism.

Chinese media have been in Africa to tell China and the world about it, but there few African correspondents based in China to inform or present a view to their readers or audience. More African people are choosing to go to China, so it is critical for African reporters to cover their stories.

With more than 300,000 African residents, Guangzhou in South China has become an immigration focal point for Chinese policymakers and researchers. But how these Africans live and what they are seeking is in most cases a mystery to us because access to the community is hard. African reporters, however, can conduct such interviews and write stories. Just as when language and culture become barriers for the Chinese community in Africa, both Chinese and African journalists should work together on those stories.

According to Oxford University researcher in international communications, Iginio Gagliardone, the Chinese media in Africa choose a good storytelling approach when reporting Africa and African affairs, including China-African relations, and shy away from the previous reporting that mainly concentrated on conflicts, epidemics or famines on the continent.

I disagree, as it seems to imply the over-positivism described by Clark, and tarnishes the essence of professional journalism. The media is the watchdog of social and public interests and it must speak for the people and guard justice. But that doesn't mean its only responsibility is to reveal the dark side of the society and remind people of hardship. Media is also a vital platform for social inspiration, something akin to the "sunshine report" the South Africans are debating, which raised the need for a more inspiring role by media in society.

As China promotes a China Dream for its people, it's also crucial for African correspondents to tell how they perceive and understand that dream, and to what extent it can be shared with Africa. So establishing a mechanism that offers more exchange opportunities between China and African reporters is critical because it resonates with the call for more home-grown solutions to African affairs.

The China Dream should interact with an Africa Dream, but this interaction requires an understanding of each other's context. The media can bridge the two contexts.

As China's international English-language newspaper, China Daily brought its African Weekly edition to the continent last year. I think it would be wrong to come here with the mentality that what we are telling you is the only story. We are simply providing another platform and window for African readers to understand China, China-African relations and world affairs.

We want to make it a platform not only for Chinese correspondents and commentators, but also for African ones, and we are dedicated to more collaborative reporting with local news sources to let African and Chinese voices be heard.

Chinese and African dreams are vital for our people to build a more sustainable and inclusive society. Media cooperation between the two sides will promote mutual understanding and bring those dreams closer to reality.

The author is China Daily's correspondent based in Nairobi. Contact the writer at lilianxing@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 12/13/2013 page12)