I don't know about you but I always wonder where the $1 a day statistic often quoted by numerous foreign research houses, broadcasters, international development organizations www.unmillenniumproject.org/resources/fastfacts_e.htm and www.unicef.org/mdg/poverty.html came from. Fortunately I'm not the only one dissenting www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-164502.0.html and http://bit.ly/fjZuN9- but that is besides the point.
What we all know to be true is that the messenger spins the message whichever way he wants- its really much like Chinese Whispers- by the time the message reaches, it has become convoluted and the original meaning has been lost and ultimately you have a watered down or completely different version.
For decades East Africa and the whole of black Africa has had its message spinned for her. Foreigners visit for a week and come out with a research report whose conclusion was written before the plane tickets were bought. What we have therefore is a crude mythical view of East Africa buttressed by black and white despair-filled photos http://bit.ly/frl3rx of Africans in dire circumstances.
While East Africa is rife with poverty, so is North America, http://bit.ly/eNne4j and Europe and Asia and Latin America and...you get the point. The difference is that these continents spin their own beautiful messages that espouse the wonderful things about them.
East Africa needs to become its own messenger. Social Media platforms allow East Africa to spin its own message- instead of : "East African school children study under trees" (which is true) East Africa can say: "Intelligent East African school children who study under trees...". The way a message is spinned decides the action that will be taken. Pessimistic spins call for pity parties, optimistic spins call for sustainable action. Bloggers, Twitterers, Facebook-ers, YouTube-ers all of these can rally around spinning a positive picture of East Africa. These social tools allow the message to go viral and as a result, change perceptions.
Social Media platforms used effectively can dispel myths and bring out the development (not handouts) that East Africa needs to flourish.
How are you using Social Media to change perceptions?
Visit us on facebook.com/EnterpriseTechnology
Follow us on @technologyEA
No comments:
Post a Comment