Position Paper 2: International Media Trends

People in the United States often forget that there are trends in media that extend beyond mainstream America. What is popular within the American borders may not be popular outside those lines, and the celebrities and media platforms that are completely foreign to Americans other people around the world cannot get enough of. They are devouring the content, and it is shaping their pop culture while Americans are simply in the dark about cultures other than their own. The bitter truth is that overall, America has a narrow view of the world. It is one of the more closed off countries and, as a result, are ignorant to the evolution of media around the world. 

America is not the only one that is guilty. This narrow view extends to most of the Western world. Western countries are often guilty of the belief that their ideals are the only ones that exist. A young lady felt this suffocating viewpoint and decided to invest her life saving, change her career, become an entrepreneur, and take a risk to widen that mindset.

Chioma Onwutalobi is a vibrant young entrepreneur that took a leap of faith to create a magazine that was unique and revolutionary. But this was not always her dream. She started off in a career in law. She worked for the legal department of London oil and gas firm. This job resulted in her traveling numerous countries with many of those being in Africa; she visited Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, and the Democratic Republic of Congo during her travels. During the months she stayed there, she had a revelation. She realized the disconnectedness she had to her roots. It was not only her heritage she was disconnected from, but the other countries found in Africa as well. She came to the realization that she was blind to a world that she had a connection with due to her origins. 

She also came to realization that she was not alone in this separation. Her peers were in a similar predicament. They, too, were of African origin but felt removed and distant from their heritage. It was this realization that spurred on her next endeavor in her career. She felt it was time to shed light on the culture of Africa and publish it on a media platform that could reach masses of people far and wide. She felt it was time that the countries of Africa have their story be told. This was the start of Glam Africa.

The journey for her was a long one. It took some time to gain momentum, but after investing and fighting to make it happen, Chioma is now CEO of a very successful magazine. The magazine is sold hard copy in stores and is also available online in a digital format. It is a highly popular magazine in Africa and is gaining popularity across Europe. 

This magazine is revolutionary because it is making history. It is shaping pop culture in a way that has never been seen before. It is becoming an inspiration because it is an accurate real representation of a continent that is filled with rich and vibrant cultures that have been over looked and misrepresented. The common association made with Africa is that it is all one big country instead of hundreds of nations, and that it is poverty stricken and filled with third world tribal people racked with hardship and disease. Chioma wanted to change that, and her efforts have begun to do that. She is showing in her magazine the real Africa. 

Her magazine shows what styles and trends are taking place in a variety African countries. She shows who the popular celebrities are, and it is filled with stories regarding what is taking place in their culture the same way People Magazine or Entertainment Weekly shows trends and tells stories of what celebrities and pop culture is going on in the United States.    

She shows a the side of Africa that no one sees. She shows more than the poverty and war zones in other media platforms. In Glam Africa, African women and styles are represented. It gives people of African heritage something to relate to. In the Western world where most media is "white washed," this magazine provides diverse content that is long over due to be shown. Now, people have a means to connect to the roots and read content that is relevant to them. 

The market for African representation is increasing in the United States. This magazine is rising in global popularity, and the potential for it to take off in the United States is present. Diverse representation of ethnic groups is making a move in the media of America. Black Panther and Spider Man into the Spiderverse are examples of movies that have African American leads and representation with both receiving high praise and awards. Also, Nike just signed a deal with Colin Kaerpernick and advertised merchandise standing with his movement against police brutality especially among African Americans. The support that these media platforms have gained prove that the market for ethnic representation in the United States is there. The people are wanting to have content that shows their side that for a long time has been absent. The open market provides the means for a magazine like Glam Africa to be very successful.