Western media part of political establishment, far from independent: Analyst

Most Western media organizations, including the large and more prominent ones, are part of the Western political establishment and far from objective and independent, according to a commentator.

Lawrence Freeman, an African affairs analyst, made the remarks on Press TV's weekly Africa Today program on Monday.

"First thing you have to realize is that the majority of the Western media outlets including the very largest ones are part of the political or geopolitical establishment. They're not independent journalists seeking truth," Freeman said.

Western media outlets are among Africa's greatest enemies, with consistently biased coverage of the continent aimed at cementing stereotypes that African countries suffer from a leadership crisis and are incapable of producing capable leaders.

The corporate Western media, which happens to be tied to the Western military-industrial complex, has often been blasted for meddling in Africa's internal affairs to the extent of inciting violence and fomenting civil wars.

The core objective of projecting Africa as a "dark continent" has been to show that it requires Western enlightenment in the garb of modern-day enslavement and neo-colonialism.

According to Freeman, Western media have an "agenda" and coordinate or at least work together with "political and financial oligarchies".

He slammed Western media outlets as "not objective" who are not searching and reporting honestly and do not try to find the truth.

Western media meddling in Africa

Western media outlets are one of Africa

Western media serves imperialist, neo-colonial agenda

The Western mass media has over the years earned the dubious distinction of not being neutral and resorting to discrimination and racism against Africans. The ideology of neo-colonialism continues to dictate what the Western media reports on Africa.

Abayomi Azikiwe, the editor of the Pan African News Wire, in his remarks said that mainstream Western media outlets are serving the imperialist and neo-colonial agenda, citing the civil war in northern Ethiopia, concentrated in Tigray.

Azikiwe told Press TV's Africa Today program that the Western media tried to depict the Ethiopian government as "disorganized and repressive" with the US supporting the rebels during the Tigray conflict over the past two years.

Tigray has been the scene of conflict since November 2020, when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops there to topple Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in response to attacks on army camps.

The Western media outlets, which have been at the forefront of implementing the imperialist agenda of meddling and fomenting civil wars and political turmoil in Africa, have supported the TPLF rebel movement that plans to topple a democratically-elected government.

Freeman also described the Tigray conflict as an agenda intended to "weaken the government".

"This is an attempt at regime change. They want to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed because he is independent and not controlled by them. He was working on a plan for regional development and coordination," Freeman asserted.

African people victims of Anglo-Zionist capitalism, imperialism, colonization: Analyst

A political analyst says African people have been the victims of Anglo-Zionist capitalism, imperialism and colonization that have created a false demand for blood diamonds.

Counter-meddling by Western media 

Freeman urged African journalists to "respond quickly and appropriately" to false narratives peddled by Western media outlets.

He criticized African journalists for letting fake stories go viral without any counter, blaming it partly on the fact that African journalists do not want to cause friction between themselves and Western media.

"They [African journalists] are afraid to talk. They do not believe in fighting back as aggressively as they should, in an organized way. Negative stories about Africa circulate all around the world and they are not challenged," Freeman rued.

He suggested that African countries form a unit in the government called the "rapid response team" to respond to outright lies, negative comments, false information, and false narratives, in a quicker and more forceful way.

Developing countries are all facing an onslaught from mainstream Western media outlets, which has increased the need for them to collaborate and counter the negative coverage.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk