Probleme und Möglichkeiten der katholischen Presse in Afrika

Abstract

Die christlichen Missionen im afrikanischen Kontinent haben Pionierarbeit auf dem
Gebiet der Publizistik geleistet. Studien, die der Geschichte des geschriebenen und
gedruckten Wortes in Afrika südlich der Sahara oder im sogenannten „Schwarzen
Afrika" (und darum geht es in diesem Artikel) nachgehen, stehen vor der Tatsache,
daß die christliche Publizistik „und zwar vor allem ihr katholischer Zweig - wohl
die älteste gedruckte Publizistik im Schwarzen Kontinent" ist. (...)

English

Africa's development has exploded on all levels. Today nobody has any longer a  eneral orientation on the situation of the many different countries. There doesn't exist any good stock-taking both of the secular and the religious press in the different African countries. Thus the first demand goes for a honest and critical analysis of the mass media situation country by country. The next step would be a content analysis of the press in order to find out whether the press is doing its job and whether it is truly African. Some conclusions however can already be drawn in advance. Africa's Christian and Catholic journalism is neither good journalism nor truly Christian and Catholic. What is needed therefore is a) better training and more professionalism; b) a deeper Christian understanding of the press; c) a more „catholic" view; d) to take Africa and her problems more seriously; e) more in-depth reporting and responsible editorial policy out of social responsibility; f) to create more understanding for a free press; and finally g) to take up some serious communication research. In spite of all the many lacks there is great hope for the African Christian press.