This week's Listening Post News Divide looks at the culmination of the biggest story of 2008: the election of the 44th President of the United States.

More than a hundred million people voted, and many of those will have been glued to their televisions, or radios, or computers, to witness Barack Obama’s first speech as President elect in front of thousands of adoring fans in Chicago.

Obama’s media story has been unprecedented, an Internet phenomenon, who has inspired global media interest and a emerged as a calm and accomplished TV performer.

Coverage of election night was as breathless as Obama was unfazed. So what did the media make of Obama as history was made on Tuesday November 4th? And how did Obama use the media to launch his Presidency?

And in this week’s Newsbytes: French magazine L’Express offends three North African governments andReporters Without Borders puts Eritrea at bottom of 2008 press freedom index.

This year's US election has dominated the news media far beyond any other story, hardly surprising since the next US President will be the most powerful man on earth.

The media, both traditional and new, have played a central role in vetting the candidates and presenting their visions for America, and the world, to voters.

In part two The Listening Post looks back over nearly two long years of campaigning to bring you our top 5 media moments from the US election.

Plus, the US election has been a truly global media and cultural event.

And our video of the week this week is a musical offering from Kenya, the birthplace of Obama's father.

Ohanglaman Makadem is an Afro/Reggae artist who together with filmmaker Katrin Ender has produced "Obama Be Thy Name". Watch it here.