How African Stream is changing depiction of the continent by western media

Book Fair

Pupils watch an animation of Bible Stories created by International Bible Students Association during the 20th International Book Fair at the Sarit Center Expo Hall.

Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • The organisation will leverage on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
  • African Stream will cover and produce high-impact content on history, culture, politics, commerce, sports, music, entertainment, innovation, technology and infrastructure.

Pan-African digital media organisation African Stream has officially launched its operations across Africa, to promote content that is an accurate depiction of what the continent and its people are truly like.

By telling African stories through African voices, the platform will challenge existing negative stereotypes about Africa and its people, that have been brought about by inaccurate coverage by the western media.

“Until the lions learn how to write, every story will glorify the hunter. For most of its modern history, Africa’s stories have been twisted by colonial-era and Western-oriented narratives. I’ve been in the media my entire career and I am excited to create an African news platform to define our story in our voice,” said Ahmed Kaballo, the founder and CEO of African Stream, during the launch event.

Amazing things

The organisation, whose main office is headquartered in Kenya, with partners, analysts and reporters spread across the African continent and in the diaspora, will leverage on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, which are being widely used as key sources of information, to spread its content.

“This continent is the birthplace of civilization and humankind. Africans are innovators, entrepreneurs, leaders, revolutionaries and cultural influencers, as well as a host of other amazing things. I want to build a platform that represents all of that with emphasis on Africa on the rise,” said Mr Kaballo.

High-impact content

African Stream will cover and produce high-impact content on history, culture, politics, commerce, sports, music, entertainment, innovation, technology and infrastructure. It will tackle tough issues head on, exploring the challenges and problems in Africa, as well as possible long-term solutions. 

Topics addressed include the exploitation of African wealth, how so-called ‘aid’ is often used as a weapon, why it’s Western chocolate makers who reap the profits from African cocoa as opposed to the Africans themselves, and why neo-colonial relationships have been allowed to persist to this day.  

“Those that are coming to African Stream for entertainment are inevitably also learning, and those that come to find out the latest news also find themselves entertained. That's what we mean when we say ‘a one-stop shop for all things African. We reach people that we might not have reached, through the diversity and range of our content,” added Mr Kaballo.