In an interview with Al Jazeera, Grammy-winning Beninese singer and activist Angélique Kidjo criticized Western media for what she described as a persistent tendency to portray Africa through the lens of tragedy, conflict, disease, and despair. According to Kidjo, positive stories emerging from the continent often receive little attention, while crises dominate international headlines. She argued that this selective coverage creates a distorted image of Africa and reinforces harmful stereotypes. Speaking during the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, Kidjo questioned the manner in which the epidemic was reported globally. She noted that many people outside the continent came to associate the entire African continent with Ebola, despite the outbreak being concentrated in a few countries. “Do you think everybody in Africa has Ebola?” she asked, highlighting how sensational reporting fueled fear and stigmatization of Africans worldwide. Kidjo further argued that while Ebola was devastating communities in West Africa, the international media often focused more on fear and catastrophe than on the resilience, solidarity, and efforts of Africans combating the disease. She maintained that Africa should not be reduced to a narrative of disease and suffering, insisting that the continent is also home to innovation, creativity, and countless success stories that deserve equal global attention. Credit: @aljazeeraenglish @angeliquekidjo #Africa #africans #africaaware #ebola #african - @africa.aware