Media neutrality - or the very real lack of it - in Africa

But this ideology is far from the truth as far as the media in the African continent is concerned, as even if published articles resonate with some of the concerns of the moneyed elite, there is simply no freedom of expression or any kind of media neutrality.

In the tiny Kingdom of Swaziland, the nation is presented again with the opportunity to go to the polls before the end of the year. What makes these elections even more critical is the fact that they are the first to be held under the constitutional dispensation.

But for the locals on the ground, this means absolutely nothing. Shrugging their shoulders in defeat, they view the whole exercise as nothing more than a farce, and even refuse to bother themselves with placing their cross where it counts.

The only two daily newspapers that exist in the Kingdom carry agendas that are in direct contrast with one another. The one overtly toes the government line, withholding information that is critical of the monarchy, the leadership and of public bodies. In fact, political interference in both management and editorial issues is the rule rather than the exception.

Journalists working for this publication suffer from chronic self-censorship, adamantly refusing to even flirt with the idea of publishing views which may influence their readers to the contrary.

With the competitive publication, there seems to be a lot more awareness of the right to freedom of expression, with journalists in its busy newsroom doing their level best to resist editorial interference. They acknowledge that it is high time for change in their country and that its people should be set free. But even here, any real political debate takes place behind closed doors.

Swaziland is no exception to this uncomfortable status quo amongst the African media of remaining uncritical of the government of the day. The same can be said of newspapers in Namibia, Kenya, Zambia, The Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Cameroon, all which seem to dance to the rhythm of their leaders.

And as the screws on the free flow of information tighten their hold, government-controlled propaganda helps to further indoctrinate the population, and in doing so, put a grinding halt to any views which may influence its people to the contrary.

It is therefore unfair for the media outside the continent to view things through the rosy prisms of the West. While the European media may set standards and benchmarks, it can in no way apply these to the African media.

The media on this continent face enormous challenges across the region because apart from lacking the real bite to directly challenge the views of the ruling elite, many women still wear the face of poverty, and Africa is still seen as a continent of war.

Let's hope that one day in the not too distant future, the region will able to shed its shackles of restriction, and that its media will apply the very real basics of good journalism: fact checking, getting corroboration, publishing all sides of the story and presenting it in a balanced way.

Maybe then Africa will be viewed by everyone else as what it is: a continent that is rich in diversity, culture and resources, a region of virgin lands with wide, open spaces and with incredibly vibrant and resilient people.