African Journalists and the American Media Landscape: A Misfit? By Lambert Mbom.

In a recent interview granted by Chairman of McKinsey's Africa region, Acha Leke, to Africa State of the Mind presenter, Lee Kasumba he emphasized the importance of education but also remarked “that most people are not working in the field they studied.” I felt he was addressing himself to me. One of the thoughts that has haunted me for a while has been how comes I studied journalism in America at a time when nursing was the popular gig and most African immigrants especially in the DC area were into nursing. In fact, Registered Nurses (RN) of all flavors reigned. Even the Home Health Aides (HHA) made so much money. Today it is being a Nurse Practitioner that is the new gig in town. But nursing is no longer the "thing" since the resurrection of the dot.com boom with Database administration, Systems Administration, Cyber security and now Scrum Master popular job avenues. That is for another day. 

After graduating with a Master’s degree in journalism from the world’s prestigious school of journalism, Columbia University School of Journalism, I got a job as a security guard in DC. After a few months of misfiring on every cylinder, I found a more relaxing job in mental health where I served as a Community Support Worker. I remember asking the agency's psychiatrist for admonition on what I need to do to become a psychiatrist and he so candidly and generously advised me to become a nurse. This nursing continued to dog one around as one of my roommates pursued the classical principle of investigative journalism “follow the money” and went back to school and became a nurse. He is Indian American! 

And so the question is: What is it about journalism that is scaring African immigrants from engaging in it? Karen Attiah alumna of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and now Global Opinions Editor at the prestigious Washington Post echoes similar sentiments after attending the recent White House Correspondents’ Dinner. She tweeted: 

I had fun this weekend at #WHCD stuff. But it was a depressing reminder of the utter lack of black people in elite media spaces. I’ve been at events with literally hundreds of people representing media, where I can count the number of black faces on two hands. In 2019. Why.  

While she might have been hinting at something else, very pertinent albeit, I would hazard a guess to say the money factor is central. African journalists in the United States have to get into other professions in order to realize their American dream. It suffices to note that “following the money” is one of the reasons why African journalists in the United States do not find themselves in “elite media spaces.” In short, journalism does not pay. 

That notwithstanding, there seems to be something about American media that scares African journalists. Apart from the Voice of America, with a crop of thriving African journalists, there is no other outlet in the US that has African journalists eking out a living from this profession. Even the international media idol, CNN which has a good presence and footprint on the continent cannot boast of any African journalists spotting any of its numerous programs in the United States of America. African journalists are good for Africa! 

I have had some friends wonder loudly why I am not reporting for EWTN – the global Catholic network given my background in Catholicism and in journalism? Your guess is as good as mine. In fact, a colleague with connections in EWTN told me bluntly that given my heavy African accent, he is not sure I would get a gig at the network. And he was damn right! I never as much as got an interview.  

Of course, journalism as a profession is dead compounded by the provenance and popularity of social media which has helped blur the lines as to who is a journalist and who is not. 

In order to sail through the rough and tumble wont of America, many African journalists switch hats and become communication gurus serving in multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, IMF and the United Nations to name but these.    

Yet, Leke was right when in the same interview referenced above he noted that we need to learn about learning and to continue learning. My story is not the typical story given that many people don’t travel to study journalism in the US to work within the media landscape here.  

While World Press Freedom day highlights the work of many hardworking journalists who have been brutally murdered by oppressive regimes and many languishing in the dungeons for shining the light in dark crevices, one cannot avoid reflecting on the fact that journalism is an endangered career especially for African journalists in the United States of America. America “kills” African journalists in the United States. 

If one had the opportunity again may be Acha Leke’s route would have been optimal. After graduating with a Ph.d in electrical engineering, he took up a job as a consultant with Mckinsey and today leads her operations in Africa.  

Even then it would be interesting to find out who is covering Africa for the New York Times, Washington Post and the other networks. Who are the bureau chiefs for the western media houses in Africa? Even in Africa, these African journalists serve best as stringers and correspondents earning some paltry sums.  

One of my classmates from Columbia returned home to Sierra Leone and started her own news business and other initiatives and she is doing well. Last year, she was guest speaker on a panel at Georgetown University Business School conference. 

Journalism is not the exception. A friend of mine who is so familiar with immigration proceedings in the United States of America spent time and money preparing to take the LSAT and basically preparing to get into law school. The wise counsel of a lawyer dissuaded him from pursuing that path. He is a happy social worker today. There are some very successful African lawyers in the United States but few of those who practice immigration can boast of a decent account.  

On this World Day of Press Freedom, I celebrate how in pursuit of my American dream, my passion for journalism died and am stuck with a bill which has ballooned out of proportion. But even beyond the obvious bias in opportunities, there is wisdom in the prescription by Leke when he says: "Africans must learn how to learn and to continuously learn." It would seem there is an overdrive for certificates and degrees over skills in the real world. We must be skills driven and ask ourselves how can one adapt oneself to become relevant is undoubtedly key.

I would be remiss not to mention the many African journalists who have started their own businesses and are still here. There is something to watch there but in general the story has not been the least encouraging.