ANF in the Press

Forty years ago some of the world’s biggest music stars joined together under the name Band Aid to record a fundraiser single for Africa. The song, “Do They Know It's Christmas”, was a global smash and still a holiday perennial. But a rerelease on its fortieth anniversary has put a spotlight on the outdated story it told about Africa. We look at how African voices are now pushing back against the West's narrative of the continent.

The stories we tell—and the way we tell them—can shape perceptions, influence policy, and even affect social change. When storytelling embraces diverse, factual and empowering frame, it becomes a powerful tool for positive change and influence. It can also challenge stereotypes, broaden perspectives and foster empathy.

However, when a storyteller relies on a narrow, distorted, and negative frame, they often perpetuate stereotypes that reduce complex realities into oversimplified narratives.

Les histoires que nous racontons - et la manière dont nous les racontons - peuvent façonner les perceptions, influencer les politiques et même provoquer des changements sociaux. Lorsque le récit embrasse un contexte diversifié, factuel et valorisant, il devient un outil puissant de changement positif et d'influence. Il peut également remettre en question les stéréotypes, élargir les perspectives et promouvoir l'empathie.

Narrative change organization Africa No Filter and Cairo International Film Festival awarded a new prize, Africa Narrative Change Film Award, to Dahomey, a documentary that follows 26 royal treasures of the Kingdom of Dahomey as they leave Paris to return to their country of origin in the present-day Republic of Benin. The award is aimed at promoting films within the African cinema industry that contribute to a better representation of Africa through stories that celebrate innovation, progress, and opportunity in the continent. The report was covered by print and online platforms across Africa, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Africa is often represented in Western media through a narrow lens dominated by negative storytelling rooted in themes of violence and poverty. This persistent practice has a tangible impact on the continent’s economy, resulting in measurable financial losses, says Nigeria's Abimbola Ogundairo, Advocacy and Campaigns Lead at Africa No Filter, in an interview with Sputnik Africa.

“We’ve always known that there’s a cost to the persistent stereotypical media narratives about Africa. Now we’re able to put an actual figure to it,” said Moky Makura, executive director of Africa No Filter. “The scale of these figures underscores the urgent need to challenge [these] negative stereotypes about Africa and promote a more balanced narrative.”

The narrative of elections in Africa is typically one of the negative stereotypes that portray the continent as chaotic and illegitimate. Africa No Filter and fraycollege conducted research on how the story of elections in Africa is told. Through focus groups with senior journalists and content analysis of over 800 online articles from different African countries, we found that the words most commonly used when reporting on elections were corruption, violence, ethnic tension, unengaged youths, and fraud. The report was covered by print and online platforms across Africa, including Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, and South Africa.

The study highlights the significant cost burden that biased media coverage imposes on African nations, particularly during electoral periods, ultimately deterring foreign direct investment (FDI) in a continent known for its low default rates and high returns in strategic sectors. The report was covered extensively across Africa, in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, while noteworthy pick-ups include Africa.com, Bizcommunity, The Guardian UK, and Nation Nigeria.