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Comment by personjerry | Hacker News Reader

When the US launches a satellite they don't write "North America" enters the space race, so why does Ghana represent all Africa?

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The way the western Media reports on this continent is downright negligent. It's misleading and honestly hinders the world's perception of the reality here.

I'm in West Africa right now, moving South, and it boggles my mind to see how the world reports on "Africa".

Every day people ask me questions online and I read articles about "Africa" - so many people genuinely think it is one "place" a can be all lumped together. Because of that people assume that for example if there is war in South Sudan, then "Africa" is very dangerous. Or drought in Northern Kenya means "Africa" is desperate for water. They have no understanding there are over a billion people living in 54 separate countries spread out by tens and tens of thousands of miles.

If there was war or a nasty disease breakout in Northern Oregon would it be dangerous to visit Costa Rica? of course not.

If a war somehow reached Northern Oregon, most of the planet would instantly become a much more dangerous place. Some parts because the USA might lash out. Other parts because their local powers might play their hands more forcefully while the USA was preoccupied with its domestic war.

I live in Portland. Some days it does feel like there's a war outside when the protestors hit the street.

Also the "space race" is an ancient term referring to the US/Soviet rivalry many decades ago.

A good way to convey perspective:

http://plancksconstant.org/blog1/iamges/sub11/true-size-of-a...

Of course, the more distant an object is, the fewer details we see. I can differentiate between the houses on my block, but not the ones in the next neighborhood. I know the neighborhoods in my city, but not the ones in, for example, Austin TX. Most people know the nations on their continent, but not in far away places ...

The problem is that we need more voices in the news media from Africa. I've actually tried to find some quality, serious, English (because that's what I read fluently) news from Africa, and it's tough. The Daily Kenyan and East African, both from the same publisher, are pretty good, but of course focused on their region only. I've seen others from European countries, but with an outside perspective of course. AllAfrica.com is far too much.

Other suggestions are welcome if anybody has them. I'm looking for a high signal (serious news of wide impact) to noise (celebrities, sports, news of only local impact like the local city council race) ratio.

The daily maverick is a good news site focusing on South Africa

The do, frequently. I'm told daily that America did something. As a Canadian, we just accept that you guys have no idea how continents or countries work.

I think there is value in treating Africa as a country.

There is a PC war against it, but personally I think that's ignoring the real issues of third world poverty and arm-chairing away from the real problems.

PS We mostly say American has done X, Y, Z so not a great example. And we use words like issues in the Middle East/South East Asia, which once again I think has value at the higher level of world news.

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