Media Theorised

Edward Said: The politics of stereotypes in news

Think of ‘Orientalism’ as a lens. Use it when you read the media: Spot stereotypes. Decode fictions. Unlearn myths.

Palestinian academic Edward Said’s (1935-2003) book Orientalism showed how the West had the power to represent the colonial “other” – while at once leaving them voiceless.

Sorious Samura who has narrated this video, produces journalism that does precisely what Orientalist narratives do not: in documentaries like Cry Freedom and Exodus from Africa, he has covered Africa from the inside, representing African voices and African perspectives.