Swinburne University, in association with ANU, publishes the on-line news analysis magazine, Inside Story. Inside Story provides high-quality analysis and reportage by university researchers and journalists of issues affecting Australia and the world.
Much of the coverage in the Australian media is driven by crises – such as the post election violence in Kenya or the fighting in the Democratic Republic of the Congo etc. This contributes to the widely held impression that the continent is not only gripped by continuous crisis, but that all efforts to improve social conditions there have failed due to endemic conflict, corruption, power struggles etc.
A series of 12 articles, to be published on a monthly basis in Inside Story and The Canberra Times over 2011, will report on daily life and social and political change in East Africa. The articles are designed to build a more nuanced view of Africa for Australian readers and will be written in an accessible, personal style in order to appeal to the widest possible audience.
The series of articles will also be actively promoted to other journalists and newspaper editors.
Funding will be used to pay Xan Rice, a South African born journalist based in Nairobi, to research and write the articles. Other costs, such as editing, photography etc, will be covered by Inside Story.
The aim is to demonstrate to other media a different way of reporting from the developing world. Feedback from readers will provide a gauge of the impact of the articles and their underlying messages on the Australian public. Take up of the articles by other media will also provide an indicator of the project’s success in promoting the message.
The website: Inside Story
