"Bad Journalism": American Coverage of March and March Protests in South Africa Sparks Debate

• South Africans were frustrated by certain aspects of an international news report covering the 30 June protests
• American TV network ABC News faced criticism for using poor-quality footage and choosing a non-South African to explain the situation
• South Africans discussed the broadcast, and most were not impressed by the international representation

South Africans on TikTok reacted with a mix of emotions to an ABC News report on the anti-foreigner marches. The broadcast, which was seen by millions of people worldwide, aimed to look at the deep job and economic problems causing the unrest. While the network's featured expert did not sensationalise the issues, the network faced heavy backlash for its production choices.

Viewers were upset that ABC News brought on a non-South African speaker, Ebenezer Obadare, a Douglas Dillon senior fellow for Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, to explain the local economic context of the 30 June deadline. Obadare was highly qualified to analyse continental affairs, yet some argued that academic credentials cannot replace lived experience.

Read also

South African man thanks March and March after getting job in TikTok video

Despite the balanced commentary from the studio, the reliance on grainy video packages on the periphery of the main event made the organised march look messy. According to Mail & Guardian, the police kept watch in the area but confirmed that most of the day had passed without any serious trouble, aligning with the news reports that the day had not descended into total chaos. Watch the video by ABC News below:

South Africans slam ABC News

Viewers wanted better representation for South Africa on global television. Some South Africans demanded that international networks prioritise actual South African voices to explain their own complex realities and high-quality content. Others admitted that the expert gave a fair analysis of the March and March situation. Read comments below:

Siyabulela Nomtshongwana applauded the expert commentary:

"This man read all there is to read and presented what he found. Respect 🙏"

mpho_1028 was not impressed by the analysis:

"Why is Ebenezer speaking on our behalf?"

bhele774 also felt that the expert should have been South African:

"Bad journalism, why did you not interview relevant people?"

homemade bread slammed the poor quality videos:

"The video quality is so bad I thought it was from 20 years ago😳"

Khomosto🖤🧸 also felt the poor quality videos were a bad representation:

"Y’all made it blurry to make it look like we don’t have good camera quality."

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Boithekgo Ratsoma wondered:

"Camera quality? lena la re nyela serious."

Other Briefly News stories about March and March

• A South African man told people that he got a job after the 30 June deadline that was set by March and March, and he expressed his gratitude in a tiktok video.
• Many people were divided over the scenes of a community that demanded a foreigner open his establishment because they were in need.
• A South African truck driver shared his ordeal after he was mistaken for a foreigner and forced to resign on the spot while facing an angry mob.

Source: Briefly News