Africa’s journalists, global double standards, the colonial legacy of silence

In Western democracies, the notion of a free press is often a slogan rather than reality. While freedom of speech is hailed as a core value, powerful individuals and corporations still influence narratives behind the scenes. Rupert Murdoch, for instance, wields significant power through his media empire, shaping public opinion across the UK, USA, and Australia. 

Through his media channels, Murdoch has influenced elections, backed political agendas, and sidelined voices critical of his interests. So while Africa’s leaders face condemnation for silencing the press, the West’s own version of *media freedom* is highly selective, dictated by business interests and political alliances. 

The double standard runs deeper when examining cases like Julian Assange, whose work as a journalist and publisher for WikiLeaks led to an international legal battle. Assange exposed sensitive documents on US military actions, sparking global controversy. Rather than being celebrated for his courage, he was pursued, arrested, and now awaits extradition to the United States on charges linked to espionage. Such cases raise questions: is freedom of speech only applicable when it serves Western interests? For African journalists, this hypocrisy is glaring. 

They are criticised for restrictions imposed by their own governments, while their Western counterparts face similar pressures in subtler forms. The influence of the West on African media also brings its own contradictions. Many African journalists work for Western outlets, covering issues on the continent through an external lens that sometimes misses cultural nuances or local realities. 

Western media often presents Africa as a place of unending crises or conflicts, rather than a continent of diverse cultures, resilience, and potential. This narrative bias isn’t only damaging; it stifles the African voice, leaving local journalists constrained by editorial guidelines that often don’t serve African interests. 

These dynamics were particularly evident during the Cold War, when some journalists served as double agents, reporting on global events while working covertly for intelligence agencies. Russian and American journalists were embedded with spies, tasked with gathering information under the guise of journalism. This phenomenon was common in Africa, where Cold War powers vied for influence. Western and Soviet journalists sometimes played dual roles, shaping narratives that favoured their governments’ agendas. 

This practice became so embedded in the media landscape that it influenced popular culture, giving rise to spy thrillers like the iconic James Bond series. Films such as From Russia with Love (1963) depicted espionage as glamorous, but the reality for journalists in Africa was far from cinematic. They became pawns in a geopolitical game, their work shaped by a global agenda that disregarded African autonomy.

These legacies still cast shadows on African media today, where journalists battle both local censorship and global biases. The reality is that the freedom to report without consequence remains uneven, and African journalists find themselves in a complex space, navigating pressures from local authorities and the expectations of Western-dominated media.

As we continue to honour the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, it’s essential to recognise the contradictions within global press freedom. If true journalistic independence is the goal, the world must move beyond double standards, supporting African journalists’ right to tell African stories—authentically and freely. Only then can the legacy of colonial and Cold War manipulation be dismantled, giving rise to a media landscape that genuinely upholds freedom and truth across all borders.

Gertrude Kamya Othieno is a political sociologist in social development alumna - London School of Economics and Political Science. [email protected]