The Continuous Negative Framing of Africa in the Media: A Content Analysis of Stories sourced by the Ghanaian Times Newspaper from the BBC

Abstract

This article looked at how the ‘Ghanaian Times’ newspaper, using stories sourced from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), framed Africa to the rest of the world. The study which utilized the mixed approach also employed the gatekeeping, framing and cultural imperialist theories in its attempt to find out which of the regional blocs in Africa dominated the coverage and whether the portrayal was positive or negative. The study found that the majority of the stories that the ‘Ghanaian Times’ sourced from the BBC were negative about Africa hence framing Africa as an unhealthy place for living. Out of the 154 stories the newspaper sourced from the BBC, only 52 stories focused on the positive happenings in Africa while 94 stories painted a catastrophic image about Africa. Also, political unrest and crime were the two dominant themes Africa was associated with. In all, the general image of Africa as portrayed by the newspaper was negative as the editors focused more on negative stories of Africa compared to the positives amidst the abundance of stories published by the BBC. This arguably means that Africa’s negative image could only be corrected if editors are deliberate in selecting more positive stories about Africa for publication. This work will indeed add to the literature on the framing of Africa in the media especially the contribution of the African media to the dominant negative image Africa continues to be associated with. Keywords: Africa, Images, Gatekeeping, Media Framing, BBC Stories, Regional Blocs Coverage