How China, Turkey & Russia Influence the Media in Africa
The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) is an independent, non-profit German political foundation that aims to strengthen democratic forces around the world. KAS runs media programs in Africa, Asia and South East Europe. KAS Media Africa believes that a free and independent media is crucial for democracy. As such, it is committed to the development and maintenance of a diverse media landscape on the continent, the monitoring role of journalism, as well as ethically based political communication.
Looking at media involvement in Africa, one can only state that the continent is more important than ever. Next to traditional actors like the BBC or Radio France International, and to a smaller extent of Deutsche Welle or Radio Swiss International, there are new players.
They do not seem to have the same agendas as the older ones, but they bring about new versions of journalism, of attempted influence and propaganda. What differentiates them is, in the case of China, that funds do not seem to matter much. In the case of Turkey, that more and more scholarships are being offered and when it comes to Russia, that old alliances of the USSR in the Cold War are being reactivated.
What separates them even further from the old players are the values that they stand for and try to propagate. They are offering a journalism that praises their own autocratic models of rule and, in the case of China in particular, they promote a positive journalism, that does not ask uneasy questions, a journalism that does not offend or hurt, but that usually pleases the powers-that-be.
KAS Media Africa has asked experts on Chinese, Turkish and Russian media policies to outline the strategies that the state and media institutions are applying when dealing with media houses and media practitioners in Africa.
As media experts in South Africa, the DRC or Nigeria are witnessing a growing pressure on their ways of investigating and positioning media in their countries as the Fourth Estate, this publication tries to give an overview, a handbook for orientation.
KAS Media Africa stands for good, professional and thorough journalism and will encourage our partners all over the continent to continue to do so. We wish all readers a thought-inspiring read and look forward to a lively discussion about our findings.
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