CNN Gets A Spat On the Back for “Fake” Tanzania Girls’ Pregnancy Story

 

By Staff Reporters, Dar es Salaam and Nairobi

Noam Chomsky, the famous American linguist, coined an old media effect theory “the CNN effect” or “CNNization of the news.” In the thesis, Chomsky uncovers the problem of CNN-manipulation, misinformation and disinformation.

Not so miles away from Chomsky’s sphere, comes a business mogul-turned-politician, Donald Trump, with similar discontent on the CNN’s news sociology. Trump’s Fake News typology has now complemented Chomsky theory with a bang but unveiling similar sentiments.

The two native Americans’ anger with CNN is straight, clear and vertical-the news conglomerate has lost its much acclaimed news touch to focus on biased reporting, often times, engulfed in stories lacking the per-liquisite contextual background on matters they try to extrapolate.

Not always so but the Chomsky-Trump prophesy is increasingly trending into a reality-CNN is progressively more accused all over the world, particularly among developed world, for its misinformation of what is really happening in those nations. “To them (CNN), everything has to be akin to the American confused but conservative culture,” says Toni Barack a Nairobi mass communication graduate from Daystar University.

A CNN story published on 11^th October, 2018 on its twitter account titled: “They failed mandatory pregnancy tests at school. Then they were expelled” written by its London based correspondent, Ivana Kottasova, on a grant, is yet but another testimony on how CNN reporters with no deep-reading of the cultures they write about will always miss and mess on it.

Covering the already dead story of Tanzania’s decision to ban pregnant students to continue with schooling in public formal system, the author writes: “Last June, Magufuli, dubbed "The Bulldozer," went a step further, announcing that pregnant students would not be allowed to return to school after giving birth.” The story baselessly tries to undermine the morality of the government order. with no apparent justifiable arguement

However on its online twitter account-seemingly tired of the CNN’s bias on reporting developing nations and Africa in particular, a significant majority of the contributors sided with the Tanzanian President Magufuli's decision, some wishing such a policy would one day be imported to their own countries to end school pregnancy woes!

“That’s awesome!!!America should do the same,” commented a CNN twitter addict named Joshua Neumann as another commentator Lewis added: “This needs to happen in the UK as plenty get pregnant to get council housing.”

More readers across the globe supported Magufuli’s moral basis that seeks to encourage school girls to abstain from premature sex to focus on studies. What CNN missed, confirmed by most adamant readers, is the fact that it is weird to defend the young mothers to remain in classes with their babies. Instead, the Tanzanian authorities do allow an alternate access to education via private based schooling system.

Chomsky warned of CNN bias

“It’s weird that you have public schools with half the class being student-mothers. How can a formal system accept that? Considering the extent of pre-marital pregnancies in most African countries just imagine the psychological stifle a decision to allow these young mothers in class will pose on other girls in the class!” says a Dar es Salaam based sociologist John Chami.

CNN readers seem to get that, and continued to spat on the media giant’s twitter wall with hundreds of “venomous” comments. One reader posted to CNN with a “spat” of a datasheet report from the US based University of Michigani analysis showing the impact of unwed parenthood. The report shows how entertaining early girls’ pregnancies cost the US government. “Unwed Parenthood: America’s Largest Source of Shootings, Rape and Murder,” reads the report title.

Another commentator Eunartha Bossamy who spitted against CNN and supported the government of Tanzania on the position wrote: “Then similarly do genetic testing on all newborns to establish paternity and if the father is also found to be a student, expel him. If he is found to be a teacher or adult or other authority figure…arrest him.”

Tanzanian ethics minded President

Another commentator from Uganda supported the Tanzanian position saying it’s the same in his native country. “It is normal in our Ugandan schools too. If you become pregnant, go raise a family.”

Kenan Olia put forward another moral line of defense to Magufuli on pregnant girls in schools: “In Africa parents send their children to school to have the best education. It’s the school’s duty to ensure that the girls return home safe and better for the community. Mind u, boys are expelled too if they’re found having sex in school. We applaud the moral standards set.”

Some readers went as far as to remind the CNN’s lack historical knowledge on the evolution of the US society. “Teen pregnancies in Hampshire were a thing in the 80’s too. I don’t think you really know about what you (CNN) are talking about. It seems your ‘awareness’ is still that of a immature and distracted pre-teen trying to remember something he was never concerned with,” wrote Azucena DiBiscaglia. Similar US experience was further shared by Lex Jurgen:

“@CNN CNN)  historical knowledge on the evolution of the US societyoling in public formsl system the author writes:  they'o be a teacThey moved girls who were pregnant teens out of my California public schools way back when to alternative locations…I assume all schools do this. Certainly the US parochial schools would. Yo don’t see pregnant girls in US high schools.”