The Harms and Hypocrisy of Biased News Coverage on Newly Independent Nations
By Afabet Gebretinsae
https://shabait.com/2023/07/31/the-harm ... t-nations/
Jul 31, 2023
Have you ever consumed mainstream news coverage, on Eritrea? Have you noticed that the reporting always devolves into a vitriolic diatribe of a young nation that has chosen to deviate from the humiliating status quo of so many developing countries, and courageously chart its own way forward as a beacon of economic and political self-reliance?
In February of this year,
the Washington Post published a scathing article claiming that Eritrean soldiers had massacred hundreds of civilians in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. However, the article was based on anonymous sources and later retracted after it was revealed that such allegations were false. This is not the first time that the Washington Post has published biased, unsubstantiated, and politically motivated content meant to demonize—and ultimately destroy—Eritrea’s unwavering spirit of self-reliance, perseverance, and courage.
In fact, this egregious lack of journalistic integrity befalls several other reputable media outlets as it pertains to coverage of Eritrea. Indeed, the
BBC and
CNN also repeatedly engage in a pattern of unethical and politically motivated reporting of our small yet brave nation.
The dangers of publishing uncorroborated, contentious claims about newly independent nations cannot be overstated. For one, such narratives contribute to the “
otherization” and subsequent isolation of countries, to ultimately brand and ostracize them as “
pariah states". Once a country falls into such classification, it becomes increasingly difficult to engage with the international community in the realms of trade, economic and environmental collaboration, tourism, and other critical forms of diplomacy. The resulting geopolitical isolation further crystallizes the narrative that the country is reprobate and belligerent, and the vicious cycle continues.
Furthermore, we Eritreans have noticed in these smear campaigns a disturbing undertone of imperialistic ambition guised in [white] saviorhood. If mainstream news outlets truly want to serve as watchdogs of the powerful, then why do they work so hard to vilify and isolate a nation that does not pose a threat militarily nor economically? Why do mainstream news outlets, overpower the voices of those it claims to defend?
As Eritreans, we are cognizant that the majority of countries from which these outlets originate struggle with disgraceful legacies of colonialism and slavery. These countries then brush over deep-seated systemic racism with superficial language like “
diversity,” “
equity,” and “
inclusion.” This same pattern exists in these societies’ treatment of Eritrea. Deep imperialistic ambition continues to hide behind buzzwords such as “
watchdogs,” and “
human rights defenders.” The hypocrisy would almost be comical, if the effects were not so detrimental to the designated victim.
Ironically, however, the very societies who retarded our economic and political progress by over 100 years due to their colonialist ambitions, now want to judge us. And furthermore, this insidious, one-sided, and overwhelmingly negative coverage has spawned an erroneous international image of Eritrea; eclipsing in the process its epic and costly struggle spanning many decades to assert its inalienable national and human rights.
If these mainstream journalists were to come visit Eritrea, they would be inspired and altered by Eritrean society. Our people, are humble and hard-working. Muslims and Christians, live in unity. Our nine beautiful ethnic groups, live in harmony. Our history, is noble. We are a small country that stands up to our bullies in the name of freedom, independence, and liberty. We are consistently outmanned, out-resourced and outgunned, yet we still persist. We have never asked for a handout, nor will we ever. I invite journalists to come see for themselves.
We hope that one day, we can foster cross-cultural understanding and economic and political collaboration on the basis of mutual respect.
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