“Tribal Fixation” and Africa’s Otherness

Abstract

This monograph takes a qualitative, content analytical approach in examining U.S. press coverage of Africa from 2000 to 2012. The goal is to learn the degree that the press manifests “tribal fixation” and the broader theme of otherness in the context of advanced globalization. Coverage by The New York Times and the Associated Press is the primary focus. To assess tribal fixation, this monograph examines coverage of the electoral crisis in Kenya in 2008, the Darfur conflict in Sudan, and the civil war in Congo. To assess the portrayal of otherness, the study examines the general framing of African news. While both aspects of coverage have diminished, the element of otherness seems more resilient. Drawing from notions of the “traveler’s tale” and theories of social cognition and news frames, this monograph concludes that perceptual distance remains a factor in the coverage of Africa.