Postcolonial Trajectories of Foreign News Selection in the Ghanaian Press

This paper investigated, from multiple levels and perspectives, the influences exerted by global news organisations on the representation of Africa in the Ghanaian press detailing the conditions that have accounted for these influences, which remain celebrated as universal news values. Relying on content analysis, survey and ethnographic interview, the study uncovered a postcolonial ambivalence in which Ghanaian journalists rather largely sought to rationalise these multiple ideological influences on their news-selection with little resistance. The self-reflexive appropriation of an African perspective by these journalists was not reflected in their coverage of the continent. Their heavy reliance on global news organisations, especially the BBC, depicts a lingering postcolonial influence. Although they constructed their increasing use of Xinhua news agency as a form of resistance, the invasion of their subconscious mind by qualities of the BBC is rather submissive.