"The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera." - Dorothea Lange
Thursday, July 05, 2007
laura bush goes to mali
My friend Laura Calfee sent me this link to NPR about the first lady's visit to Mali. She said it made her sick and that she wished Ms. Bush had seen the Africa I saw. Made me pretty sick, too. Give it a listen.
We have to bear in mind a couple things here. First, that virtually no news services outside of Africa covered that trip. AIDS deaths are the equivalent to five jumbo jets crashing every day in Africa - and the media barely takes notice. The Wall Street Journal did have a piece on 14 July 2007. Finally.
But the rest of media hardly takes notice, or portrays intractable situations that leaves audiences exhausted and, ultimately, dis-engaged. Or make cynical observations like this NPR piece.
The State Department is interested in "raising the bar" - and encouraging a higher standard. That, and most of the "high profile" people on that visist were journalists from around the region - who wanted their comfort!
Here's the important news: since 2003 the U.S. government has pledged $15 billion to Africa for AIDS and malaria relief. Hundreds of thousands of people are being supplied Anti Retro Viral medication (ARV). And the administration proposes to spend $30 billion more in Africa over the next seven years. This is hundreds of times more than was ever spent on health in Africa. And the administration talks about it as "a start" - yet the media barely mentions it.
That is is THE story about the U.S. and Africa - that is worth focusing on because it is getting results. Cynical stories on NPR just encourage people to shrug their shoulder and continue with their "write off" attitude about Africa. NPR should be ashamed.
1 comment:
We have to bear in mind a couple things here. First, that virtually no news services outside of Africa covered that trip. AIDS deaths are the equivalent to five jumbo jets crashing every day in Africa - and the media barely takes notice. The Wall Street Journal did have a piece on 14 July 2007. Finally.
But the rest of media hardly takes notice, or portrays intractable situations that leaves audiences exhausted and, ultimately, dis-engaged. Or make cynical observations like this NPR piece.
The State Department is interested in "raising the bar" - and encouraging a higher standard. That, and most of the "high profile" people on that visist were journalists from around the region - who wanted their comfort!
Here's the important news: since 2003 the U.S. government has pledged $15 billion to Africa for AIDS and malaria relief. Hundreds of thousands of people are being supplied Anti Retro Viral medication (ARV). And the administration proposes to spend $30 billion more in Africa over the next seven years. This is hundreds of times more than was ever spent on health in Africa. And the administration talks about it as "a start" - yet the media barely mentions it.
That is is THE story about the U.S. and Africa - that is worth focusing on because it is getting results. Cynical stories on NPR just encourage people to shrug their shoulder and continue with their "write off" attitude about Africa. NPR should be ashamed.
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