Somalia, the Media, and us*

About a month ago, the lead story on BBC was the famine in Somalia. As I listened to the voice on my borrowed radio, I felt sad— for the people, for the suffering, for the unimaginable choice between staying and starving or leaving everything for the unknown. I was also angry once again at the brokenness of everything in the world. (People have said that eventually this anger will turn into cynicism, but for now, I still get angry.)

And I’m still angry because it wasn’t until people were dying in multitudes from hunger, fleeing for their lives as refugees, that we were hearing anything about anything in Somalia.

The media says that the rulers of Somalia are responsible. Not that they caused the famine exactly, but they didn’t do much to stop it either. I can’t claim to be an expert on Somalian rule (who can?), but it’s clear the people in charge of Somalia have continually said no to NGO and relief assistance and that seems to be the main argument as to their fault right now. As far as I know, however, they are still saying no and things are happening anyway – not perfectly (welcome to aid in Africa), but happening all the same. The difference is people informed by media pressuring their governments to do something.

The people in charge hold their share of blame, but the fact that this became all that it is should not be blamed entirely on them. The media has its own responsibility. Not that they caused the famine exactly, but they didn’t do much to stop it either.

Famine is not a sudden disaster; it is a crisis that can be prevented. Estimates place the beginnings of the Somalia famine last year. Where were the reporters then? (Were the children just not skinny enough yet?) Media has a responsibility to all of humanity— including Somalians. The media matters today more than ever. In the blink of an internet eye, a story can change entire countries, governments, and ways of life… or not. Why must the media wait until it’s almost too late to be the heroes? For those dying, it is too late; they don’t want heroes, they just want to live.

…

Soon, Somalia too shall pass, replaced by a newer, shinier, sexier story than starving people in Africa. After all, thousands of people die every day from hunger and malnutrition and it never makes the news. We wouldn’t watch it.

Americans only look at people’s suffering so long before they can’t or won’t or don’t anymore. We get bored in one way or another, change the channel, and move on. Sensational news reporting is still to blame, but one must ask: isn’t it the same blame shared by a people who don’t ask for anything more? We don’t care about “could-be-famines”. We are, in our own way, responsible.

I’m not sure I would have cared as much about this last year. Maybe the only reason I do now is because I know it could happen here in Burkina, and no one would notice the old woman with kind eyes who sells me onions every marché starving to death. Maybe my anger is just selfish. But maybe it’s more than that, too. I’ve started to realize how many stories are lost, how many people are forgotten, and how much pain I omit from my life simply because I don’t want to be bothered.

Something to think about.

Wẽnd na kõ-d bãane.

Peace.

*This article was written with little research, as no news source besides the occasional BBC radio newscast was available at the time of writing. The author is aware that certain knowledge may be inaccurate or incomplete and it’s certainly old (article written 17 August). These are just her opinions and, as always, they have no relation whatsoever to the opinions of the Peace Corps or the United States Government.