Hey!
I'm interested in how the world sees South Africa - especially with the oncoming soccer world cup in 2010. Whether you're a local watching international news, a South African abroad, a foreigner who has visited SA or is just interested in visiting us - what do you see of SA in international news? Please share your experiences with me and where possible, give me a link to the photo/blog/website/video/article where you got the information from. I'd love to hear your stories and opinions
An interesting article to read is: The Media and Africa: who is failing whom, by Ian MacDonald.
http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/newsletter_archive/the_media_and_africa_who_is_failing_whom_.html
A segment from the article:
| The media and Africa: who is failing whom? Does South Africa and Africa as a whole only receive negative international news coverage and, if so, is the international media is failing us? Although it is clear that South Africa and Africa as a whole don't only receive negative press, I was interested in exploring the second part of the viewpoint - whether the international media was perhaps failing the continent. Perhaps, then, local media is failing South Africa? (The debate whether South African media have a role, or even an obligation, for nation-building over and above their responsibility to keep citizens informed, is one for another day.) So who is failing whom? I think that Africa is actually failing itself. Africans, African Governments and African businesses should take the lead in presenting to the World a different face of Africa, one that highlights the successes, ingenuity and progress of the continent. The responsibility lies with us. As Tina van der Heyden of Rhodes University says "As long as bad news sells (and it most certainly will for a long time to come), we shouldn't hold our breath waiting for the Western media to realise that their images are not an accurate portrayal of Africa's reality. As Africans, we need to stop seeing ourselves through the eyes of the Western media and find a way to make them see us as we see ourselves." By Ian Macdonald |
Please feel free to pass the link on to someone you know who may be interested.
Thanks for your time.
Cheers
