The News Media and the Pope in Cameroon

By George Esunge Fominyen

The Pope has left and Cameroon is not so hot in the news anymore. That is the way news organisations work. Still, it was fun to read distant papers like the Seattle Times mentioning Cameroon. And I'm still to get over some of the interesting, absurd (would you say bizzare?) stories that popped-up in relation to this Papal visit. From the controversy on condoms and the spread of HIV, through echoes of Cameroon's First Lady's head gear at the welcome ceremony to maize named after the Pontiff.  Here's how the media covered Pope Benedict XVI in Cameroon...

Benedict XVI may be gone but he could long be remembered in the country if a new variety of maize seeds succeed to make their mark on the agriculture scene. Cameroon's English-language tri-weekly The Herald reported that in advance of the Papal visit:

"Seeds of an improved species of maize, until 15 March known as CMS 8704, will now be called Benedict, in honour of Pope Benedict XVI who is currently on a four-day visit to Cameroon.Scientific Research and Innovation minister, Madeleine Tchente, made the announcement Monday at a press briefing in Yaounde.It was not clear why only CMS 8704 was chosen among the wide variety of improved seeds to be named after the pope "

In such a context you would bear with me that Cameroon is not a country like any other that the Head of the Roman Catholic Church has visited or would visit. He therefore had to make a remarkable entrée for the world's media to focus on him. If that was the intention, His Holiness hit the jackpot when he declared that AIDS "cannot be overcome by the distribution of condoms. On the contrary, they increase the problem". It caught like wildfire. From Reuters, BBC, Al Jazeera, the Telegraph to France 24, the words "condemnation", "furore", "contoversy", "AIDS", featured side-by-side "pope in Cameroon". 

On his arrival, the Pope was received by President Paul Biya and his wife Chantal. To go by the Boston.com article entitled Quel Chapeu! Cameroon Welcomes Pope, the First Lady's head gear seemed to make the news and her sense of style was "saintly":

"Carla Bruni-Sarkozy? Michelle Obama? Neither of these glamorous first ladies can compare to style icon Chantal Biya, the first lady of Cameroon. Chantal and her continent of hair met the Pope yesterday, and you can tell that the Pontiff was thinking "How can I grow my eyebrows like that" through the entire encounter. Her hair is so amazing that it has a style named after it (seriously) -- the Chantal Biya. Chantal even showed up the Pope's miter with her jaunty head wrap, which was adorned with tasteful crosses for the occasion. No further deliberation is necessary; it's time to declare Mrs. Biya a saint of style."

The Herald also mentioned Chantal's style but they were also keen about the security display.

"Before Pope Benedict XVI’s Alitalia Boeing 777-200 flight touched down at the Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport at 4pm yesterday, about six hours after it took off from the Leonardo da Vinci airport in Rome, Yaounde was under tight security. Since the pope’s arrival, security has intensified.
   
Three alpha jet planes presumably loaded with ammunition and heavily-armed troops looking to strike at the least sign of trouble spun terrifyingly over the Nsimalen airport to ensure the Holy Father’s safety.
   
...Ground security was tightened with an apparently increased number of soldiers armed to the teeth and positioned in bushes and roof-tops from the airport to Unity Palace and the Apostolic Nuncio’s residence near Mont Febe Hotel where the pope will be lodged."

The Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV) followed the Pontiff each step of the way. The TV newscasts seemed to be "Papalcasts". Reporters managing the feat of interpreting changing weather patterns as divine symbols and the "cosmos in unison" when they showed shots of the sun outshining dark clouds when the Pope touched down (follow the reports here). Sadly though, the mix of reports by "normal" news department staff and reporters from various "brigades or special units" in-charge of covering the President, the First Lady, the President of the National Assembly and the Prime Minister led to repetition.

However, the national TV channel (not famous for its "live" events) managed live broadcasts of the Pope's landing and the"giant mass" at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium. That Mass was a CRTV exclusive relayed by all other TV channels in the country! The french language  daily Mutations came back to this, highlighting the fact that this was a rare opportunity for Cameroonians to see their President on his knees, as he genuflected to take the communion from the Pope.   

The CRTV website that has recently been upgraded is still full of videos and reports of the visit. Anyone with the appropriate internet connection could relive the high moments hoping that they master a bit of spanish (in order to click on the correct links). No. Spanish is still yet to become one of Cameroon's official languages. The site was re-designed by a Spanish consultancy that seems to have some finishing touches to handle!

The French language daily Mutations decided to go into CRTV's backyard to unearth a "forgotten" aspect of the visit of the one described by Roman Catholics as the Vicar of Christ. The paper revealed that  the former Director General of CRTV and self-proclaimed "Mariologist" (researcher on the mother of Jesus) and choral music composer who composed anthems for Pope John Paul II  (1995) and (even) Benedict XVI  was  barred from meeting the Pope.

Mendo Ze who was recently found guilty of mismanaging/embezzling over 2 billion FCFA  while at CRTV, told Mutations that he sent a present to the Pope via the Apostolic Noncio to Cameroon. He also said "the Virging Mary" had revealed to him that her son (Jesus Christ) had not created the tools of radio and TV to serve the devil  but rather to be at the service of Christ. This explains why Masses and church services filled CRTV airtime while he was Director General. This professor of French stylistics espoused such a devotion for "the Holy Mary" such that he became source ridicule by one of Cameroon's leading mimics Méchékan . He must have regretted his absence from the media limelight on this occasion.

Comments

[manyanye paul Ikome]

Hello Snr GEF,
just to note that you made a factual recount of the Popal sojourn in Paul Biya's country. Chantal had a
true head gear.
Kudos

[Abel Akara Ticha]

Comprehensive recount.

Your blog's well organised.

Congrats.

[Abel Akara Ticha]

Lest I forget, Mgr Tonye Bakot of Yaounde has made public a reaction from the bishops of Cameroon, in which western media are criticised for swinging the pendulum of the pope's statements on the side of condoms whereas he dwelt more seriously on issues such as poverty, traficking, reconciliation, abuse of power etc.

In my opinion, this view is founded. The pope's answer to the HIV question from a France 2 journalist has been totaly tabloidised. To "past-phesy" (my reverse of "prophesy"), I'd say Western media were waiting for such a statement and had it on a platter of gold!

[George Esunge Fominyen]

Abel,

Good to have your insights to the Papal comment.

Indeed, there are many who hold the same view as you. I read an editorial in Mutations which felt that the "western" news media made too much meet of what is essentially an expected point of view that the Roman Catholic church has always maintained.

I have also read posts on Cameroonian forums where many seem to think the slant given to this coverage (particularly the Pope's comments on condoms) was intended to make African's look like:

"a lost bunch of beasts who make love indiscriminately without responsibility and who need to be saved from extinction through the use of condoms, unfortunately they are being guided down the wrong path by a religious luminary."

Mind you those are not my words. They are expressions of a Cameroonian on an niternet-forum.

As you can see, you are certainly not alone wondering whether the coverage by the "western" media was not skewed.

I know you enjoy cultural and media studies. This certainly makes for interesting study...Right?

Peace