It is no secret that one of the biggest complaints Africans have about international networks is their fascination with telling the bad stories about the continent, because that generally reinforces the stereotype of their viewers that Africa is the ‘dark continent’.
Africa has our numerous troubles but it seems even when we get it right, they are still fascinated with telling the wrong story.
Take, Ghana, for instance. We just completed our seventh peaceful, free and fair polls since the return to multiparty democracy in 1992. The incumbent government is being kicked out for the third time and they are peacefully handing over. We are one of the most advanced economies on the continent, and whilst we have challenges, we are hardly Zimbabwe – but that is just not good enough for CNN.
In their election reportage, CNN wrote the following passage which has got Ghanaians online up in arms…
The national economy will be Akufo-Addo’s major challenge. Oil reserves were discovered off the coast of Ghana in 2007, but Ghanians struggle to obtain food and day-to-day services.
Rolling blackouts are common and citizens often stand in long line to obtain products.
This started the #CNNGetItRight on twitter, as Ghanaians express our outrage with the lazy, sinister reportage from one of the world’s premiere news networks.
And this shows why their facts were so wrong…..
Check out some of the best reactions to CNN by flipping through the pages…more outrage at the twitter #CNNGetItRight