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Who Owns TV Images from Africa?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 August 2021

Christopher Paterson
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Extract

This essay addresses how recent changes in electronic media may impact upon what the rest of the world sees of Africa on television. Its predictions are disheartening, especially to Africanists and communications scholars who have well documented the longstanding insufficiency of African news coverage. And my conclusions contrast with those of the big television news companies, who, with a “good for business, good for everyone” mentality, like to believe that the new media market and nifty new technologies can only mean more and better coverage of every part of the planet.

Type
Research Article
Information
African Issues , Volume 22 , Issue 1 , Winter 1994 , pp. 15 - 18
Copyright
Copyright © African Studies Association 1994

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Footnotes

*

Chris Paterson is an instructor in the Department of Radio Television and Film at the University of Texas-Austin where he is completing a doctorate.

References

Notes

1. Roger, Wallis and Stanley, Baran (1990) The Known World of Broadcast News London: Routledge.Google Scholar The most thorough study of international TV news coverage is James, Larson (1984) Television’s Window on the World: International Affairs Coverage on the U.S. Networks. Norwood, NJ: Ablex.Google Scholar See also Porter, Weaver, J. В., Evens, (1984) “Patterns of Foreign Coverage in U.S. Network TV: A Ten Year Analysis,” Journalism Quarterly 61(2):356-363Google Scholar; and Gonzenbach, William; Arant, M. David; Stevenson, Robert (1991) “The World of U.S. Network Television News: Eighteen Years of Foreign News Coverage,” Paper Presented to the Association for Education on Journalism and Mass Communications meeting in Boston. Specific to Africa’s treatment on Western television are Assignment Africa (1986) Public Broadcasting Service, David Royale, producer; Kalter, Joanmarie (1986) “The Untold Stories of Africa: Why TV is Missing Some Big Ones,” TV Guide, May 24, 1986, 2-12; and Christopher, Paterson, (1990) “Western Television News and the Frontline States: A Case Study of Third World News Coverage,” Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Boston University.Google Scholar

2. In Paul, Harrison & Robin, Palmer (1986) News Out of Africa: Biafra to Band Aid London: Hilary Shipman & Palmer, 76.Google Scholar

3. Channel 4 News Editor Richard Purvis, in Harrison & Palmer, 73.

4. Buckalew, James (1970) “News Elements and Selection by Television News Editors” Journal of Broadcasting, Winter: 48.

5. Lipscomb, Lowndes, WTN Managing Editor, in Paterson, op. cit., vii.

6. The behind-the-scenes companies which provide international TV news pictures have traditionally shunned publicity, in order to keep the spotlight on your favorite networks and stations. Little has been written about how they work, and, given recent restructuring, who they are. Two recent exceptions, from which some of this information is drawn, are Waite, Teresa L. “As Networks Stay Home, Two Agencies Roam the World” New York Times, March 8, 1992, 5, and Broadcasting and Cable, “Special Report—News Services: Filling Changing Needs and Niches, May 31, 1993, 27-44.