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MASS MEDIA AND CULTURAL IMPERIALISM: THE AFRICAN EXPERIENCE
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MASS MEDIA AND CULTURAL IMPERIALISM:
THE AFRICAN EXPERIENCE
Dr. Regina Acholonu
Department Of Mass Communication
Caritas University, Amorji-Nike, Enugu
Em ail: regyacholonu2009@yahoo.com
Abstract
The mass media in developing countries have been described as Trojan horses for the transmission
of western values and for the perpetuation of cultural imperialism. Foreign programmes dominate
our television screens. Programmes that have little or no redeeming values as far as our culture is
concerned consistently feature on our media channels. In the 'views of Udoaka (1998), many third
world countries including Nigeria import over fifty percent of their television programmes. They do
this, not from other developing countries which many be near self-sufficiency in media product as
the United States of America (for example India) but from the USA and Britain. Opubor (1986, p. 148)
observes the situation thus:' "some of our broadcasting stations, many of our newspapers and
magazines, all of our cinema houses feature the cultures of Europe and North America more
prominently and more consistently". Sadly enough, the mass media in Africa have become tools of
advancing the subjugation of the black race. It is in view of this that this paper examines ways the
media can be used to advance the African culture instead of promoting foreign programs that
debase our culture. The paper recommends among others that African news agencies and mass
media should adopt communication policies to favour cooperation among all African mass media
and channel development according to African values, needs, aspirations and ideology.
Introduction
Man is an imitative animal and very often changes his style of speech or behavior through the imitation
of patterns of speech and behaviours of those around him or those with whom he has experienced
association. As with individuals, so it is with peoples and societies. When a people with its characteristic
ways of life come into association with another people with different and distinguishing ways of life,
culture contact has taken place because two different cultures have met. This association may result in
either party adjusting its characteristic ways of life based on those of the other side. Awareness is
extended either unconsciously or deliberately, each side or one side learns and assimilates new
education system, language, social skills (like those used in government and leadership) entertainment,
technical skills and a new hierarchy of values. The process by which these changes in culture occur is
known as acculturation or culture transfer. All the world's greatest nations learnt or borrowed
something from others. African media have for a long time based their communication function on
western philosophy of information, education and entertainment. These functions have universal
application but the problem lies in the mindless adoption of the western way of informing, educating
and entertaining regardless of our peculiar circumstances. Illiteracy for instance is a major problem in
Africa. No less than sixty percent of Africans are illiterate rural dwellers. The media must device their
own means of carrying out their functions to suit the circumstances affecting their
audiences.
Theoretical Framework
This study is based on Cultural Imperialism Theory propounded by Herbert Schiller in 1973. The theory
postulates that:
 Western nation dominates the media around the world which in turn has a powerful effect on
the Third World cultures by imposing on them western values and thereby destroying their
native cultures.
 Humans react to what they see on television because there is nothing else to compare it to
besides their own lives, usually portrayed as less than what it should be.
Theory is value-neutral and objective. It does not matter what beliefs the people of the Third World may
already hold, the television programmes from the Western World will communicate the same message
and affect them in the same way (Anaeto, Onabajo & Osifeso, 2008). This theory is relevant to this
study because it explains why and how Africans consume mass media messages from the Western
nations.
Another theory that finds expression in this study is the Dependency theory of Ball Roacheach and De
Fleur, postulated in 1976. The theory stipulates that people depend on the media to achieve certain
goals. Further more people do not depend on all media equally. Two factors influence the degree of
media dependence.
(a) People become more dependent on the media that meet a number of their needs than the
media that provides just a few.
(b) The more a person is dependent on the media, the more that media will be important to the
person. Since the media is important to the person; it will have influence over the person. This
explains the penchant most people have for anything foreign, be it information, fashion,
entertainment and so on.
Explanation of Concepts
In order to appreciate the subject properly, it is necessary to explain the following concepts.
Culture: It is a way oflife fashioned by a people in their collective endeavour to live and come to terms
with their total environment. It is the sum of their art, their science and all the social institutions
including their systems of belief and rituals. Shaibu and Puke (2001, p. 147) define culture as "the whole
body of knowledge, beliefs, arts, law, norms, moral, customs, values, habits and all other capabilities
acquired by man as a member of society. Acquired capabilities .include the manner of adjusting to
man's needs and to a society's needs and to a society's peculiar environment." The peculiar nature of a
society's environment determines her settlement pattern; primary occupation as wel1 as tools and
implement in use. It also determines her tradition, religion and the mode of worship.
In the same manner, Mkpa (2001, p. 112) defines culture as "the totality of a people's ways of life.
Culture refers to the whole gamut of knowledge, beliefs, customs, traditions and skil1s that are available
to members of a society. They are man-made designs, prescriptions and responses which are
deliberately fashioned to guide all aspects of a people's life."
Mass Media: Obasanjo and Babogunje (1992, p.44) refer to mass media as "an agency, modem or
traditional that operates for the articulation and dissemination of ideas, and information generally with
intent to influence or control an audience or institutions that constitute power and authority". Mass
media are those channels or vehicles through which information, education, entertainment or general
people- oriented messages are conveyed to the masses.
Media refers to various channels of communication through which information (messages) are conveyed
to audiences. They are the vehicles which transmit messages from the sender (encoder) to the receiver
(decoder). Different professionals in the field of communication have proffered various definitions of
media. Nwosu (1990) refers to traditional rural communication media as gongs, town criers, drums,
market and village for rituals and festivals.
Imperialism: This is the expression of overbearing tendencies of one country through which social,
cultural and economic harsh influences are spread over another country which suffers the harrowing
effects of such influences.
Cultural Imperialism: Cabral (1976) defines cultural imperialism as a "situation where foreign culture
dominates a local one such that the locals see their own culture as inferior to the foreign one".
Best and Kombol (2009), see cultural imperialism as "a process that brings societies into modem
systems. It is a process in which a dominant culture exerts pressure and force on other cultures that are
perceived to be of less significance even by members who belong to that culture."
The Genesis of Cultural Imperialism in Africa - pre-colonial era experience
The famous Trans-Atlantic slave trade created a big situation for culture contact in Africa. More than
eleven million Africans were shipped to slave in the plantations of western hemisphere, torn from their
roots and forcefully planted in a new land and strange environment.
Using Nigeria as a point of illustration, Nigeria's historical background would give a better understanding
of the issue in question. Two major influences affected Nigeria. Nigeria was-divided into two major
geographical regions, the North and the South. The north was influenced by Arabic and the south by
Europeans. Nigeria's experience with culture contact with continents outside Africa was on the platform
of trade. Kano in northern Nigeria was for over a hundred years the terminus which reached the
Mediterranean through North Africa. The Trans-Sahara route facilitated trade and culture contacts with
the Sahelian regions and the Middle East. Islam came to Northern Nigeria through the Middle East and
Islam being a way of life (culture) replaced much of the indigenous cultures in Northern Nigeria.
The Portuguese relationship with Benin in Southern Nigeria is important because it made a deliberate
attempt to culture transfers. Missionaries introduced Christianity to Benin. Culture contact with Britain
had the greatest and the largest abiding effect in Nigeria. Economy was at the heart of that contact. It
was the British economic interest which propelled Britain into its dominant role in the Trans-Atlantic
slave trade. In the words of Obi-Ani (2004, p.351) "it was the white man's greed that had propelled the
trade, their insatiable acquisitiveness, ruthless exploitation and callous indifference to the feelings of
others that have kept Africa perpetually underdeveloped".
After the abolition of slave trade, it was British economic interest that sent British
merchants/adventurers to look for raw material. Christianity also helped the penetration of foreign
culture by projecting new perspectives and prospects to life through evangelization which though was
never the prime motive as was clearly stated by Lugard (1926): "Let it be admitted at the onset that
European brains, capital and energy-have not been and will never be expended in developing the
resources of Africa (from motives of pure philanthropy) that Europe was in African for the mutual
benefits of her own industrial class."
The media in use in the pre-colonial era were the traditional modes of communication which Wilson
(1998) cited in Kur (2009) classifies as "instrumental media, demonstrative media, iconographic media,
visual media, extra-mundane media and institution-al media". Their significance and the special role
they played could be examined in terms of (i) oral and literary tradition which involved the use of
folk culture expressed either in stories poems, plays, songs, proverbs, customs, rituals or rights. (ii) In
terms of the field of myths, legends and folk lore and (iii) in terms of puppet operas, comedians and
similar art forms (Kid, 1976).
Communication between the people and the colonial masters was through these various channels with
the aid of local interpreters. The use of folk media helped to animate critical awareness, communication
and cultural activity among the rural people. Folk operas presented in local languages were used as
means of cultural expression. These communication channels had limitations. They were only able to
reach small audiences and took longer time to disseminate information. But their greatest benefit was
that there was little or no disharmony in the people's culture.
Contemporary era of the Mass Media
In this era, new technology has become a driving force behind the movement towards culture contact.
The world's communication infrastructure has matured to a point that communication now holds sway
in information dissemination. Communication and information in this era are described as 'flowing on
the global information super highway'. Governments in developed nations are occupied in considering
ways to take advantage of these technological innovations in the field of mass media. There is a shift
from national to international perspective. The media giants, the transnational media corporations now
use the ploy of information free flow to perpetrate their dubious intentions in their exploit of the
developing countries. This has led to vulgarity in African culture. These technologically advanced nations
now make the developing nations a dumping ground for their media products. They bombard Africa
with all kinds of vulgar films, music with obscene lyrics, arts and other cultural contents which are alien
to African culture. This has been achieved through various channels and programmes some of which are
highlighted below:
Satellite Broadcasting: Satellite broadcasting also known as Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) is a
communication system that uses voice, schedule and the satellite dish. Owners of satellite dish receive
messages beamed from satellite stations via satellite positioned in orbit. Through such broadcasts,
television pictures and sounds are beamed round the world and into homes at all hours, regardless of
frontiers, prevailing norms and values or cultural sensitivities. It is the trend now for instance for families
to watch offensive, obscene films from far away countries that have no qualms about such films.
The technology has broken all frontiers, barriers, distances and all seasons. Gergen (2009 p.8) describes
the changes that occur as "technology alters our patterns of communication". In the past social
relationships were confined to the distance of an easy walk. These relationships have multiplied
exponentially. We can now be accessed in numerous ways and can be involved simultaneously in many
different relationships all without face to face contacts. Additionally family interaction has been radically
altered and turned into 'microwave' relationships. The danger inherent in this satellite culture is the
likelihood of our teenagers and ill-equipped adults to embrace the more surgical aspects and values
transmitted through the medium rather than the more positive ones. Dependence on Direct Broadcast
Satellite has not only eroded our cultural potentials but has also eroded the programme production
capability of our indigenous professional media workers. Ukpaukire, (1990, p.38) states that “the
influence which the dishes have may not be direct, but it undermines our culture because the culture of
those transmitting is different from ours”.
Big Brother Africa on DSTV
The show casing of the programme “Big Brother Africa” has done more harm than good as far as the
intrusion of foreign culture into Africa is concerned. A good reflection of the decay in the family
structure could be easily captured by this television programme. According to ode (2009, p. 10) “most
family members, males, females, husbands, wives become addicted to watching and applauding the
decadence and rapid erosion of Africa’s cherished moral values”. The programme depicts an attitude
inconsistent with our values and in the views of Ode “it is either a reflection of the spirit of post
modernism which is fast replacing traditional or even “modern cultures which if nothing else were
stable, predictable and safe”.
Films
Films have been blamed for the intrusion of alien cultures in Africa. Foreign films have made most of our
young ones ignore their culture to imbibe alien culture. The consequent psychological effects these have
on these young ones in particular have created a people who are not proud of their cultures and only
feel fulfilled in life when they ape the west.
The brainwashed youths and even adults copy western languages, fashion, music and skin bleaching.
Commenting on the effects of foreign films in Nigeria, Shehu (1997, p, 38) says that "the kind of films to
be used in enlightening our societies are not the sex saturated films ofthe west nor are we going to rely
on the Kong fu fighting films of Hong Kong and China. We shall not even ape the 'love and escape' films
of the Indians to teach our people our ideals. The racist productions of Edgar Wallerce like Bassambo
series, Edgar Rice Burroughs (of the Tarzan series fame) and Kye Onstott (with Mandigo) have had the
effect of denigrating African culture."
Although indigenous films dominate the market, yet there are still elements of cultural imperialism even
in the indigenous films. A good example is the film titled "Glamour Girls". This film is a story of society
girls who made a living in the cities by getting hooked to rich old men for the sake of their money. It also
portrayed how jobless young men made money dubiously through these girls. The film x- rayed high
class prostitution among girls in Nigeria thereby encouraging immorality among young women and men.
Many girls are no longer bothered about the immorality in prostitution rather they willingly accept it as
lucrative profession.
Cable Network News (CNN)
The invasion of the air waves by the Cable Network News has had serious impact on contemporary
Nigeria journalism. The CNN is an independent satellite broadcasting station based in Atlanta, Georgia,
USA and owned by an America media giant Ted Turner. The presence of CNN has made a lot of impact in
mass communication in Nigeria especially in broadcasting stations which depend so much on it for news.
These stations have continued to relay CNN programmes to the extent that it is now their major source
of news items. This practice has drastically altered the traditional methods of news collection.
Many of these stations spend a greater part of their time monitoring CNN programmes and adopting
those ones that have been found favourable for relay to the members of the public. In the views of
Aminu (1994, p.8) "the media houses in Nigeria are characterized by long rows and rows of unwitting
reporters with radio cassettes severally tuned to CNN channels to catch the latest world news". This
seemed impact of CNN dominance of global news flow is abject media cultural imperialism.
Implications of Media Cultural Imperialism
Consequent upon many years of colonization of Africa by developed nations, there has been a widening
gap in their level of development. While the industrial world grows vibrantly in economic, social and
political prosperity and stability, Africa has been left to wallow in abject poverty and economic
retrogression. Many years after their independence, Africa says Agba (1998, p.18) “has continued to
suffer a subtle form of colonialism and economic exploitation by their former colonial masters”.
In several ways and through several programmes, the media have continued to introduce distorted
perception of values, presenting everything foreign as wise, admirable and civilized and everything local
as primitive. Technology is not developed indigenously. Imports from developed nations have created
malignant taste for foreign goods. The youths and even some adults construct fashion to mean
bastardization of our culture, imitating dressing pattern in their daily lives. Africans no longer control the
factors that dominate their cultural identity. The media now determines what people value as their
culture. The distorted media products beamed to Africa have succeeded in undermining our accepted
moral values. African culture is under the battering influence of western imperialism.
Conclusion/Recommendation
The culture contact which resulted when the colonial masters intruded into African life yielded a harvest
of culture transfers and cultural imposition from which the continent is still battling to extricate itself.
But let it be admitted that some benefits also resulted. Every culture contact results in acculturation
which a culture engages or can engage for its own development. Ideas often grow by encounters and
interaction with other ideas. There is no doubt that the level of development in Africa would have been
different if we had all along practiced strict cultural insularism.
However, while we acknowledge the benefits of acculturation we cannot close our eyes to its
impediments. This is the main issue of this discourse. It is the view of this paper that there should be a
genuine balance in the exchange of media products from developed nations to developing nations and
vice versa. African media have come of age and should therefore avoid overdependence on foreign
media which present a distorted picture of our African culture. Culture is not a wholesome adoption of
foreign ideas, institutions and method. The African mass media should bear this in mind.
!,
The paper therefore recommends that: The efforts being made so far by non-align nations {Africa
inclusive) to provide a united Third World voice against the powerful industrial media giants should be
given more strength.
Presently, the spread of technical progress has been uneven and this has contributed to the division of
the world economy into an industrial centre and countries engaged in primary production with
differences in income growth. Africa should be concerned with providing for herself in those areas that
give the developed nations the opportunity to advance imperialism. African media should put pressure
on-their governments to invest in technological research through which the continent would achieve
industrialization. Although industrialization is not an end in itself, it is the .principal means at the disposal
of Africans for obtaining a share of the benefits of technical progress.
Africa should manage the mass media to solve her information priorities. Technology should be
harnessed to address the socio-cultural, political, economic and industrial problems of all African
nations and these should be the directions of change. The aim should be to nurture democracy in Africa,
achieve high educational rates and speedy economic growth so as to gain a stronger voice in the
communication terrain through which she would assert herself in the international arena.
News and information make meaning only when they are used to meet the priorities of a people in the
context that fit their ideology. A right step taken by African media is the introduction of the concept of
development journalism. This is an attempt by the media in developing countries to channel
communication to development ends. It is the media's efforts to take news from an African perspective
to solve Africa's problems. African news agencies and mass media should adopt communication policies
to favour cooperation among all African mass media and channel development according to African
values, needs, aspirations and ideology.
African governments should formulate cultural policies that would protect their citizens from dangers of
foreign media contents. In Nigeria for instance the cultural policy on media content stipulates that a
target of80% local production for radio and television programmes should be observed. Federal
Republic of Nigeria Gazette (1988, p.6) stipulates among others that "the education system shall
promote and stimulate creativity and draw largely on our tradition and values, namely, respect for
humanity, and human dignity, for legitimate authority and the dignity of labour and respect for positive
Nigerian morals and religious values.
Local media programmes should be creatively and attractively packaged to arrest and capture the
interests of their audiences. CNN for instance has made the mass media in Nigeria to become aware of
the need to increase the standard and scope of radio and television programming in Nigeria. This is
because most programmes being relayed from CNN are packaged in a very high standard. The best
equipment and personnel are used by CNN for those programmes. This phenomenon of high standard of
foreign broadcasting has therefore raised the call for professionalism among Nigerian broadcasters. In
the views of Effiong (1999, p. 77) "professionalism is assumed to stress good presentation techniques,
the ability to select good news stories and be fair to all sides".
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