International Journalism

In many countries in southern Africa, journalists face harsh consequences when they try to hold governments accountable.

War devastated the nation’s independent media, and now the job of restoring the foundation for news reporting begins.

If local journalists reported more of the news to Western audiences, their sources and the story’s context would be different.

‘We have covered Africa this year, so we won’t be doing anything for a while.’

‘… there is an obvious need for independent press scrutiny to hold these tribunals accountable.’

‘The patronizing reporting one witnesses today is as bad as the condescending work of the past.’

‘We would work to capture and convey the human dignity not often found in stories painting statistical portraits.'

Statistics don’t matter when disease and disaster exact such high human tolls in Africa.

A BBC foreign correspondent pleads with journalists to move past their relentless focus on Africa’s misery.  

Gwen Lister, editor of The Namibian, an independent daily newspaper in Namibia, spoke to delegates at the UNESCO conference on “Freedom of Expression and Conflict Management in Crisis Situations and…