Colonialism’s legacy can be deeply rooted and evolve into new forms. RT understands the risks of such prolonged foreign dominance, especially in the media sphere, and aims to address these challenges with new Africa-focused content and a bold, continent-spanning ad campaign.
“Neo-colonialism is the worst form of imperialism”
“The anti-colonial struggle is essentially a struggle for human dignity”
“Independence and sovereignty cannot be shared”
“African resources should belong to Africa”
These are the words gracing billboards across Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Once uttered by prominent African leaders like Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah, Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere, Uganda’s Milton Obote and Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, their message resonates even stronger today, across the African continent and beyond.
© RT / RT
RT has battled against the pervasive dominance of Western mainstream media for nearly two decades, a struggle that Russia has faced for much longer. For years, a news outlet oligopoly – in print, radio, or TV – has controlled the global media landscape, protecting their countries’ or alliances’ geopolitical and economic interests.
Today, monopolistic social media giants amplify their voices. What do they all have in common? They all hail from the same few countries. Yet, they arrogantly dictate what the entire world should think and feel, even about the very countries they are targeting.
America’s CNN and the New York Times, Britain’s BBC and The Guardian have told Russia, India, South Africa, Indonesia, and countless other countries what to believe about the world and themselves; who is good and who is bad; what is right and what is wrong.
They arrived in our lands, ‘invested’ in our media, recruited our brightest young talents, and molded them in their own image. They established a narrow range of acceptable narratives. This was media colonialism in its purest form. With it, true independence – in the media or any other sphere – was impossible.
The backlash was inevitable. People stopped believing the so-called reality they were fed through that media echo chamber, even about their own communities, let alone about countries halfway around the world. The time has come to tell our own stories. New voices have emerged. Voices like RT.
For the past 19 years, RT has firmly established itself as a voice of dissent in the global news media space. We cover stories overlooked or ignored by others and thoughtfully explore perspectives rarely seen in mainstream media.
As our videos playing at Addis Ababa International Airport in Ethiopia – also part of our multi-country African ad campaign – proudly show, our journalists are not afraid to face criticism, challenge the most powerful world leaders, and engage with the visionaries of our generation. We aim to use our resources to showcase African countries and peoples in all their diversity and complexity to the world, amplifying their voices.
We are also proud to present a new show on RT, based out of Kenya – ‘Lumumba’s Africa’, with Professor P.L.O. Lumumba. The program provides a deep and insightful look into the matters that remain most relevant to Africa as a whole and many of its nations. Professor P.L.O. Lumumba takes his audience on a compelling and informed journey exploring African issues like economic development, the colonial legacy, energy, education – and, most importantly, the bright hope for Africa’s future.
© RT
I am sure that there will be even more thought-provoking questions that RT will explore in the months to come. Why borrow money from the IMF if your country is rich in natural resources? Do international corporations prioritize African people or their own profits? Do European leaders yearn to reclaim their colonies? Should the West pay reparations for slavery? Why did Nigeria nearly get drawn into a war over US and French interests in neighboring Niger? Should the US dollar remain the main global reserve currency?
We are not afraid to initiate these conversations, in Africa, about Africa. For RT’s audience of millions all around the world.
You can find more images of the campaign .