“I felt like I was trapped inside a box – of just a black box. There were people around me and I couldn’t hear them. I couldn’t see them properly. I did nothing […] You’re just alone.”
For the media, it sometimes feels like crossing a border changes who someone is- from someone of inherent value and dignity, to a small point in a large crowd, who’s rights are in turn diluted.
“I tried to bargain with the policemen, but they demanded N500,000 ($770) or nothing. Next, they drove me to my bank branch beside Sheraton Hotel and told me to go and withdraw the money for them.”
“For us, it’s an evil we have to accept. Faced with not finding work and not being fluent in the language…well, we take what we can get.” -Nani
In most parts of Cameroon, the news is what the newsmaker wants it to be, and a brown envelope with cash can buy anyone exactly the news they want the public to hear.
How a Namibian freelance journalist dealt with Western Media’s exploitative practice, accounts of mining for local contacts, the personal stories, and sentiments from across Africa.
