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ABSTRACT
Scholars have argued that the increased coverage of African football in western media attests to broader changes within western media, covering more diverse affairs concerning Africa. Subsequently, this change is said to have led to more positive portrayals of African affairs in western media that challenge Afro-pessimistic narratives. This article argues that these findings are limited to English and French-speaking newspapers, as other western contexts were overlooked. To fill this gap, the following article examines how Africa and Africans are portrayed within the Israeli football media. Based on a content analysis of newspapers, sports sites, and podcasts, the article argues that African affairs are still mostly portrayed through colonial stereotypes. African footballers are often perceived as backward and commodified as precious stones, while the African continent is frequently homogenized. The article ends, though, on a positive note, recognizing a few journalists who rise above problematic tropes by addressing local contexts.
Acknowledgement
I am grateful to Michal Engel-Gurfinkel for inspiring me to write this article.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1. Hawk, Africa’s media image.
2. Bunce, Franks, and Paterson, Africa’s media image.
3. Nothias, ‘Re-assessing the myth’, 1143.
4. Bleich et al., ‘Afro-Pessimist or Africa Rising’, 1781.
5. Bunce, ‘International news coverage’, 22.
6. Wainaina, ‘How to write’, 92.
7. Bernstein, ‘Running Nowhere’, 653.
8. Billig, Banal Nationalism.
9. Tervo, ‘Nationalism, sports and gender’.
10. Kioussis, ‘Remember the Teutons’.
11. Pope, Patriotic Games, 8.
12. Pack et al., Tug of War; Shor and Yonay, ‘Play and shut up’.
13. Hagay and Meyers, ‘Everybody’s team’, 531.
14. Ibid., 533.
15. Schler and Dubinsky, ‘Green Eagle Nation’.
16. Sikes, ‘Print media’.
17. Scott, ‘Marginalized, negative or trivial’, 556.
18. Fair, ‘War, famine, and poverty’, 7.
19. Hawk, Africa’s media image, 5.
20. Brookes, ‘Ideological construction of Africa’, 462.
21. Brookes, ‘Ideological construction of Africa’, 488; Wiley, ‘Academic analysis’, 45.
22. de B’Béri and Louw, ‘Afropessimism’, 337–338.
23. Nothias, ‘Definition and scope’.
24. Eltringham, ‘Framing Africa’, 8.
25. Bunce, ‘International news coverage’, 18.
26. Bleich et al.,‘Afro-Pessimist or Africa Rising’, 1790.
27. Nothias, ‘Afro-pessimism’, 299.
28. Ibid., 300.
29. Scott, ‘Myth of representations’.
30. Bunce, Franks, and Paterson, Africa’s media image, 4.
31. Bunce, ‘International news coverage’, 27.
32. Bleich et al.,‘Afro-Pessimist or Africa Rising’, 1782.
33. Scott, ‘Marginalized, negative or trivial’, 556.
34. Cooper, ‘Fear of Ebola’.
35. Fradkin, ‘AFCON’.
36. Loewenthal, ‘skid row’.
37. Yoachim, ‘Black stain’.
38. Stenzler, ‘AFCON’.
39. Sander, ‘Spelled them’.
40. Sagui, ‘Black continent’.
41. Barashi, ‘Tribal bonfire’.
42. Zander, ‘African job’.
43. Keim, Mistaking Africa, 17.
44. Nothias, ‘Afro-pessimism’, 297.
45. Crais, ‘Vacant land’.
46. Pels, ‘Magic of Africa’, 195.
47. Wadongo, ‘Africa Rising?’.
48. Wright, ‘What Do You Mean’, 421.
49. Keim, Mistaking Africa, 118.
50. Stanley, Dark continent.
51. Saar, ‘My Africa’.
52. Falola,‘Lebanese traders’.
53. Curtin, ‘Nineteenth-century mortality’, 63.
54. WASHdata.
55. Saar, ‘My Africa’.
56. Tziun3, ‘Fourth magazine episode’, 00:29:38–00:29:41.
57. Alegi, African soccerscapes, 84.
58. Ibid.
59. Ungruhe, ‘Natural Born’, 198.
60. Darby, Akindes, and Kirwin, ‘Football academies’.
61. Dubinsky, Entrepreneurial Goals.
62. A chocolate-covered marshmallow snack popular in Israel.
63. Saar, ‘Deadly impression’.
64. Lee and Opio, ‘Coming to America’.
65. Darby, ‘Out of Africa’.
66. Saar, ‘Deadly impression’.
67. Saar, ‘Deadly impression’.
68. Acheampong, ‘Giving back’.
69. Esson, ‘Better off’.
70. Manor, ‘The African Great Rift Valley’.
71. Ibid.
72. Widlok, Knab, and van der Wulp, ‘African Time’, 402.
73. Can Africa keep time?
74. Cohen, ‘Diamond mining’.
75. Barashi, ‘Tribal bonfire’.
76. My Africa.
77. Goldstein, ‘Half African’.
78. Shpigel, ‘Albino United’.
79. Rubinstein, ‘Avram in Africa’.
80. Taking over Africa?
81. Hoffman, ‘Lost in Africa’.
82. Lipkin, ‘Grant’s meeting in Africa’.
83. Ease in Liverpool.
84. Chasdai, ‘This isn’t Europe here’.
85. Brookes, ‘Ideological construction of Africa’, 465.
86. Nothias, ‘Re-assessing the myth’, 1143.
87. Ibid., 1146–1148.
88. Chasdai, ‘Monkeys are at times a longing’.
89. Cohen, ‘Between City’.
90. Dann, Facebook.
91. Keim, Mistaking Africa, 5.
92. Cankurtaran, ‘Political Theory and Movies’, 217.
93. Cohen, ‘Introduction to African football’.
94. Baram, ‘Black diamond’.
95. Porat. ‘Africa’s gold mine’.
96. Dann, ‘Shiniest diamonds’.
97. Dann, ‘Players to Watch’.
98. Tziun3, ‘Fourth magazine episode’, 00:00:47–00:00:57.
99. Sport5, ‘To buy a diamond’.
100. Igael, ‘Look at me’.
101. Cleveland, Stones of Contention, 8.
102. Poli, ‘Migrations and trade’, 395.
103. Darby, Akindes, and Kirwin, ‘Football academies’, 143–144.
104. Alegi, African soccerscapes, 79.
105. Levy, ‘Africa is not a country’, 16:30–16:40.
106. Ibid., 16:40–17:24.
107. Dann, ‘‘We’ve failed’.
108. Bernstein and Galily, ‘Games and sets’, 191.
109. Scott, ‘Myth of representations’, 204.