Political journalism on China-Africa in a changing world order: Canada, France, Francophone Africa

Political journalism, as a practice aimed at covering the political scene for the benefit of citizens, is a major tool in shaping the public's opinion of political issues and actors. Taken on a global scale, this practice becomes more crucial as it positions political journalism at the intersection formed by national (own) and foreign political and ideological spots. The author has chosen one of the most polarizing topics on the international scene for the last two decades: China-Africa. This strong polarization will enable us to highlight the main trends of analysis of media discourse on China and Africa in Canada, France and French-speaking West Africa. The research confirms this trend: political perception and dominant ideology in Canada and France build a common reading lense for describing and interpreting China-Africa relations in the media. The limits of interpreting African dynamics from the “outside” Africa, in the ideological and political meaning of the term, are considered. The major bias in press coverage is to mainly focus on China-Africa, whereas African countries are nurturing and initiating important partnerships with other countries such as Russia, of course, but also India, Japan, Turkey, etc. Europe needs Africa, which it will have to support in its economic transformation, whatever the cost, to build the long-promised New Deal, that was only envisaged in the emergency thanks to the multipolar situation created by the rise of Asia, among others. Reporting on it from both a European-American and an Asian-African perspective remains a major challenge for political journalism on both sides, for a better understanding of Africa’s new dynamic in a new world order.