Representation of China and the United States in Africa in Online Global News

This article examines global representation of the primary continental imperialisms reshaping contemporary Africa: the parallel expansionist exercises of China (centering on commercial expansion) and of the United States (centering on military expansion). Our analysis assesses the current state of these continent-wide involvements and sets out the background of how U.S.-African and Sino-African relationships have been portrayed by news media. We then analyze how both Chinese and U.S. expansions in Africa are represented by 3 prominent global media organizations online: Al Jazeera English, BBC, and CNN. This research concludes that global media report modern imperialism in Africa mostly in ways that support the imperial project rather than mobilize resistance toward it.