Layla Bautista
Since Trump’s Presidential Inauguration on 20th January 2025, his administration has been making worldwide headlines. Of course, it’s only fair that the United States – the most powerful country in the world – would make international news, but what about everything the news isn’t talking about?
From the mass deportations, tariffs on the United States’ biggest trading partners and the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Israel, it has felt as though it’s been one thing after another. Along with this, President Trump, joined by Elon Musk – the richest man in the world with a net worth of 404.2 billion (at the time of publication) and owner of X – have dominated the media.
There are many things going on in the world that many of us have never even heard of, but why? And what can we do about it?
The Importance Of Doing Your Own Research
Mainstream media is notorious for only reporting on Western conflicts and issues. One of the key factors of this can be attributed to “editorial selection” where the media only finds certain aspects of a story to support their narrative, as well as playing into ideological biases and interests of the masses, who, oftentimes, are not interested in foreign socio-political affairs. This leads people to have a skewed perception of world issues. Plus, undervaluing underreported issues leads to prolonged injustices for those whose stories are neglected by mainstream media.
“…it is also our responsibility to inform ourselves”
While there are several ways we can overcome the mountains of fake news and unreported stories, the best way is for us as the consumers to look to independent media sources.
Let’s have a look at some issues that we may have neglected in the past few months.
Beyond Mainstream Media
The Regional War In Africa
Though it’s not reported on by mainstream media, there has been a conflict brewing in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
To fully understand this conflict, one would need to trace it all the way back to the Rwandan genocide of 1994, where it’s suspected that over one million people were killed. A few years later, government officials as well as Rwandan civilians fled to the DRC, seeking safety and causing a now complicated and strained relationship between the two countries – especially with the Rwandan-backed rebel group M23 attempting to strategically vie for control over the resource-rich DRC.
Nonetheless, the DRC is one of the poorest countries in the world. In 2024, 73.5 per cent of Congolese people lived on just a few dollars a day, and yet, they also contain 68 per cent of the world’s cobalt reserves, according to the US Department of Commerce. Unearthing this information, however, would also uncover that the cobalt reserves are used to create smartphones, computers and other everyday technology for the rest of the world, which have been linked to slavery. Media coverage on this conflict would then potentially force people to confront where and how their Iphones are produced.
“…conflicts, as well as the social and political issues of the Global South, have largely been ignored to prioritise the issues going on in the Western world.”
Joseph Sany, the Vice President of the Africa Center at the United States Institute of Peace, spoke of the conflict saying: “…this is a grave time for the region, because that can spill over to many other regional, neighboring countries and lead to a massive and alarming level of humanitarian crisis. So, it’s a really watershed moment in that part of the world.” This demonstrates that a global threat is possible, but has received very little attention by mainstream media. And it probably won’t until the West feels directly affected by it.
Asia’s Forgotten War
The civil war in Myanmar has raged on since February 2021 when Myanmar was captured by Min Aung Hlaing through a transfer of power from a military coup, which has fueled a humanitarian crisis and political instability in the nation.
According to the United Nations, Myanmar is a hotspot for the largest organized crime, scam call centres, human trafficking, methamphetamine and opioid production in the world.
However, something no one talks about is the supply of weapons to Myanmar by Russia, China, India, Singapore and Thailand. The international network of imported weapons has armed both the rebel forces and the Myanmar Military Forces, creating a monopoly of armed trade.
“And yet, mainstream media has remained silent…”
According to the 2023 UN report, the international network of military grade weapons trade included $406 million from the Russian Federation, $267 million from China, $254 million from Singapore, $51 million from India and $28 million from Thailand.
It seems plausible, then, that the Myanmar conflict is being deliberately ignored by the mainstream media because of the powerful parties involved. Even though, according to Amnesty International, over 6,000 people have been killed by the military junta in Myanmar and more than 20,000, often political and war prisoners, have been detained. Additionally, over 3.5 million people are displaced.
And yet, mainstream media has remained silent, and the suffering of Myanmar has been ignored.
What Can We Do?
For the longest time, conflicts, as well as the social and political issues of the Global South, have largely been ignored to prioritise the issues going on in the Western world. However, even though it is important that journalists seek to report and promote all conflicts and issues swept under the rug by mainstream media, it is also our responsibility to inform ourselves – especially in today’s age when mainstream media outlets are failing to do so.
READ NEXT:
-
SUNAK’S RWANDA BILL CRITICISED BY HOUSE OF LORDS
-
THE MENTAL HEALTH AND EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE OF YOUNG ACTIVISTS
-
WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SACRIFICE OF PALESTINIAN JOURNALISTS
Featured image courtesy of Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.
