China Herald: Reset needed on Africa reporting

Howard French

Obama's visit to Africa has made clear reporting needs a reset, former Africa and China correspondent Howard French tells in Amsterdamnews. French is the author of the upcoming book China’s Second Continent: How a Million Migrants Are Building a New Empire in Africa. (May 2014)

Amsterdamnews:

“A trickle of articles in the American press has belatedly recognized Africa’s strong economic growth,” remarked U.S. journalist Howard French. “Some of them have touted a new African middle class, which by some measures is larger than that of India.

Others have focused on Africa's overall economic growth which, reputable forecasters predict, will grow faster than any other continent, including Asia.

French scolded Americans, who “despite their far deeper historical associations with the continent, including 13 percent of the population that traces its ancestry to Africa, cling to deeply engrained attitudes toward this part of the world, as a place of war, of misery, of strife, etc.”

“For this reason,” he said, “and because we cannot get over a long-running sense of Africa as a place to be aided, we are ill equipped to see or appreciate the opportunities that Africa offers.”

More in Amsterdamnews.

Howard French is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers' request form.

China Weekly Hangout

China's state media are making big inroads into Africa. The +China Weekly Hangout discussed this new feature veteran journalists +Eric Olander of the China Africa Project, and +Lara Farrar, previously working for both the China Daily and CNN. Moderation by +Fons Tuinstra , president of the China Speakers Bureau.

On July 1 Hong Kong we saw the annual march against Beijing rule. The +China Weekly Hangout will examine on Thursday July 11 (delayed hangout from July 4) the turnout, and how the relationship between Hong Kong and Beijing has developed, since China took over the former British enclave. You can read our announcement here, or join the debate at our event page here.