FRAMING AFRICA THROUGH A COLONIAL LENS: A CRITICAL STUDY OF MPOX REPORTING IN CONTEMPORARY MEDIA

This paper examines the representation of Africa in foreign media coverage of the 2022 monkeypox outbreak and its implications for global development discourse. Following the World Health Organization’s announcement of the outbreak in non-endemic countries in May 2022, several international media outlets used images of Black Africans when reporting the spread of monkeypox, despite many reported cases occurring outside Africa. The study argues that such visual and textual representations contribute to the reproduction of longstanding stereotypes that portray Africa primarily as a continent associated with disease, poverty, and underdevelopment. Drawing on perspectives from media representation, postcolonial development discourse, and global power relations, the paper analyzes how international news coverage constructs particular images of Africa and Africans. It further examines how selective and predominantly negative representations can reduce diverse African societies to simplified depictions while reinforcing unequal power relations between Africa and the Global North. The study contends that media narratives are not neutral but can reflect broader political, cultural, and ideological assumptions about Africa’s position in the global system. The paper concludes that more nuanced, contextualized, and balanced international reporting is necessary to challenge stereotypical representations, promote cross-cultural understanding, and support a more equitable portrayal of Africa in global development discourse