So Pope Francis jetted into Nairobi, Kenya on Wednesday evening for his maiden tour of the African continent. His first stop is Nairobi until Friday when he’ll jet out to Kampala, Uganda where he will stay until Sunday. After that, he will head out to Bangui, in the Central African Republic until the end of the month, and jet out back to the Vatican.
Like most media houses around the world, the US channel Fox News also ran a segment covering the Pope’s trip to these three African COUNTRIES. However what picked Kenyans’ interest or rather, elicited a lot of anger was the screen trail ran by Fox News that read: “Pope Francis to visit war-torn Africa”.
This trail seems to suggest that the entire African continent is embroiled in war, which is entirely false. The Pope is currently in Kenya, yes a country far from perfect (but then again which country is perfect?) but hardly anything close to being referred to as a war-torn country. His next stop will be Uganda, and the same thing can be said about that country.
The Pope’s last stop in Africa will be in the Central African Republic, a country that might warrant such a tagline. However, we cannot overlook the fact that Fox News ran the tagline as a “war-torn Africa”. Meaning to the US news channel Fox News, all the 54 countries that make up the African continent have suddenly been merged into one country, and we are all at war.
A Simple Google search by Fox News would have revealed Africa is not a country; it’s a continent. You should try Googling sometime
Such a gross mistake by such an authoritative news channel does not go unnoticed, and Kenyans on Twitter popularly known as #KOT took to social media to put Fox News in its place. Under the hashtag Someone Tell Fox News, people came out to correct Fox News. Here are some of the Tweets being sent out to Fox News.
Aye @foxnews, do they look like they live in a war torn continent? #SomeoneTellFoxNews pic.twitter.com/ErRRfQQ3iJ
— Ken (@Ken_NM) November 26, 2015
#SomeoneTellFoxNews the real war is with their grammar!! pic.twitter.com/GMAG64EAr5 — Patoranking (@pyepar) November 26, 2015
#SomeoneTellFoxNews this how we watch FOX news. pic.twitter.com/GSX3TgOmUY
— ChairmanCorruptionKE (@nangutikevin) November 26, 2015
Excuse me @FoxNews look at my city. Tell me if it looks “War-Torn” #SomeoneTellFoxNews pic.twitter.com/rtgzHGTv9o — Third Eye (@QuincyWandera) November 26, 2015
#SomeoneTellFoxNews this is what we expected after switching on Fox News pic.twitter.com/ULpXox0dQ8
— Kanyanjua (@kanyanjuasteve) November 26, 2015
Get your grammar right before you start reporting. *Half baked journalism*. @FoxNews #SomeoneTellFoxNews pic.twitter.com/INHlX8oEs4 — Mr G. (@gathogo_k) November 26, 2015
#SomeoneTellFoxNews it shud be renamed to playboy news!! pic.twitter.com/Wx613revFh
— Patoranking (@pyepar) November 26, 2015
Do u foxes see smoke in my city guess google must be broken in your country #SomeoneTellFoxNews pic.twitter.com/T3nB1gMSy5 — The November Man (@J_Borura) November 26, 2015
#SomeoneTellFoxNews to define war pic.twitter.com/eHImyv1kNe
— Irũngũ Mũhura (@MuhuraIrungu) November 26, 2015
This the only sensible thing they do at fox news!!! Show cleavage!! #SomeoneTellFoxNews pic.twitter.com/6DRkfwtB74 — Patoranking (@pyepar) November 26, 2015
Can’t blame the gentleman on #someonetellfoxnews screen, he’s sleep-reporting!!! perhaps chasing his warring demons? https://t.co/0Aq6XIF6cp
— Lillian Gaitho (@LillianGaitho) November 26, 2015
Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. @FoxNews. #SomeoneTellFoxNews. pic.twitter.com/p5zMVjwvJl — Joe Wanjohi (@WanjohiKE) November 26, 2015
You can see more on Twitter under #SomeoneTellFoxNews. You would have thought Fox News might have learned a thing or two from the #SomeoneTellCNN.