I have a question for Charlayne Hunter-Gault: Does CNN have a policy of just saying negative images of Africa? In deed through her tenure as CNN reporter CNN kept showing only the sick the starving and the war wounded. A friend of mine who watches CNN for African news recently asked me whether there are healthy black people in suits in South Africa. Apparently that is not what he watches on CNN.

Anderson Cooper continues to rerun footage of old Congo war and the guerrilla men everytime he talks about Africa on 360.

Does CNN have a policy of insisting that reporters only report bad things about Africa?

Reply, relayed, from Charlayne Hunter-Gault

It appears to me that the commentator is not a regular viewer of CNN, otherwise he would know that I have not worked there for several years. Moreover, even when I did, I endeavored to bring balanced coverage of the continent.

As I have written in my book, "New News Out of Africa," the four d's (death, disease, disaster and despair) exist, to be sure and we would have to turn a blind eye (and not be true to our professional obligations) not to see and to report on them. But I insisted in the book and in practice that there is more to the continent of some 800 million people that the four d's. Often, the limits of tv time didn't allow for full exploration of complex issues, but the pioneering program Inside Africa on CNN, under the leadership of Bill Burke (also no longer with CNN) endeavored and continues to endeavor), and I think successfully, to present a different face of Africa--one that more often than not stayed (and stays) away from the four d's. So, this may not totally satisfy the aggrieved writer, but I hope he will accept that there IS another side of the story.

Just for your information am one of African antive living in abroad interesting everything about my contenent, therefore please let me have a membership. Best regards. Mr.Jammeh