January 13. Here we go, a new report sheds light on an issue I've had on the back of my mind for years... Ever since I started studying journalism.
Yesterday (Tuesday 12), the NGO Care International published a report showing that the launch of PlayStation 5 gaming platform received 26 times more news attention than 10 humanitarian crises combined in 2020.
Having worked on crisis response for so many years, in the news or as a communication person for NGOs/UN organisations, over the years, most of the time, I couldn't get even my best friends to pay attention to humanitarian crises. This "turning-a-blind-eye" attitude can now be measured...
The Charity Care International says the media is failing countries by underreporting humanitarian emergencies, with women suffering most. And how could we disagree?
The humanitarian crises include violence in Guatemala, hunger in Madagascar and natural disasters in Papua New Guinea. They were all largely swept aside by news of Covid-19, global Black Lives Matter protests and the US election of course. More clickbait-friendly events such as the Eurovision song contest and Kanye West’s bid for the US presidency received 10 times more online news attention than the humanitarian crises in question, according to the report.
In November, I wrote an opinion piece on the dominance of the United States in the news:
https://westenglandbylines.co.uk/the-british-press-is-obsessed-with-the-american-elections/
A nation that this week has proved could not be taken as a world leader or an example for democracy worldwide. So when will journalists finally accept to reform their priorities and finally open up to the rest of the world?
In 2019, after my book on Bristol’s culture and rebel spirit came out, I started drafting an essay to highlight a few key points on these issues, having worked in world news since 2005, for different broadcasters including the BBC World Service in Africa.
But, not to my surprise, most publishers and agents I got in touch with declined even considering supporting my work let alone publishing it. Now that I teach journalism at the University of the West of England, I want to try again to open that discussion. I want my students to know about the Ugandan election of tomorrow (Thursday 14 January): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-55573581
I want them to at least to hear about it, or just to get to know the country exists… While they have heard about the US election all day every day for months, including via the British press.
Through my work, I try to highlight how the relations between the Western World and the rest of the world are evolving. Over the years, I have been based in London, Paris, Prague, Miami, Nairobi and Central Africa, mostly as a freelance journalist, paying for most of my travels. I managed to go to Haiti, South Africa, Uganda, Turkey, Iraq. All to report on under-reported stories. I worked with a filmmaker on a project on colonial history, and its consequences in our days (details here: https://deadline.com/2020/02/raoul-peck-exterminate-all-the-brutes-josh-hartnett-hbo-1202862295/). I write about African, European, Middle Eastern and Caribbean Artists. I still follow African elections from England.
Now that travels have become dangerous if not banned, I’m gathering a collection of lessons in journalism and in politics that I learned by being a reporter for 15 years over four continents.
Can our media change? Well, they will have to! The media are the reflectors of world events that people use to connect with different places and people, and to make decisions as citizens. In a world every day more global it is sick to continue to deny over 200 countries any form of media attention at all.
