U2 made more money than any other touring band in the first half
of 2005. The Irish rockers pulled in more than $48 million in six
months with an average ticket price of $96. So, naturally, I was a
little suspicious when Bono, U2’s lead singer, told me he didn’t
want my money.
Bono said he wanted my “voice” to join the chorus of youngsters
gyrating around the world at Live 8 performances leading up to the
Group of Eight Summit representing the world’s wealthiest nations.
He and Bob Geldof, a fellow rocker and organizer of Live 8, were
all over TV proclaiming their quest to “end poverty.” And I
wondered, how can you end poverty without money?
The truth is, you can’t end poverty without a combination of
aid, free markets, private property ownership, and democratic
governments. And when the G-8 leaders agreed to send billions more
to Africa, my president pledged both aid and U.S. partnership to
achieve economic and social reforms. But reporters covering Live 8
and the G8 conference were so enamored with celebrity that they
glossed over those facts — and journalists abandoned the watchdog
role they’re so proud of.
When President Bush wants more money to fight terrorism, the
media want him to account for every dime of it, all the while
crying about skyrocketing deficits. But when billions of dollars in
foreign aid are pledged, they simply cheer and ask, “Why not more?”
This is ludicrous considering some of the corrupt African
governments that have sucked away previous aid — $20 billion in
Nigeria alone.
The Media Research Center’s Free Market Project (FMP) released a
new study showing how unquestioning the media are of foreign aid.
During broadcast coverage of Live 8 and the G8 Summit, more than a
third of the news stories on the five major networks insisted that
Live 8 wasn’t about money. It is amazing that a single story could
suggest this, let alone a third of all coverage. It was a worldwide
fundraiser, but according to the media, this push for $50 billion
in aid was about “raising awareness” or a “walk to justice” —
phrases lifted straight from press releases.
The study found reporters falling all over themselves to promote
Live 8. ABC’s Dan Harris admitted he was “a little jealous” of
Good Morning America reporter Marysol Castro, who was in
Philadelphia for the Live 8 concert. Castro gushed, “You know, it
was truly extraordinary…160 bands performing in nine cities
across four continents.” Later she added that “Stevie Wonder still
makes me weak in the knees.”
Meanwhile, the real issue — African poverty — went largely
ignored in the fundraising hype. Fewer than 10 percent of the
stories in the FMP study alluded to the complex causes of African
poverty. Only a few explained why the disadvantaged nations need to
institute individual property rights and impartial court systems
before they can begin to grow economically. From time to time trade
was mentioned as a possible solution. But again, many of these
countries don’t have the means in place to grow an economic system.
Where that is the case, lifting trade barriers won’t do much good
yet.
CNN’s Christiane Amanpour ignored those issues, tugging instead
on viewers’ heartstrings. She shamelessly exploited poor children
in her stories, using them to make her point: U.S. aid is too low.
“Is it fair to hold people who are dying every day because they
live on less than $1 a day, is it fair to hold them accountable to
their bad governments?” she asked on a July 2 CNN special titled
“Can We Save Them?”
Journalists and celebrities routinely said America doesn’t give
enough, even though we give more than any other country. And they
were comparing U.S. government aid with the money other governments
give — leaving out billions of dollars in donations from private
U.S. sources. The Hudson Institute monitors private giving to
developing countries, and its review of the figures for 2003
revealed $62 billion in donations. That was three and a half times
more than the government gave in official aid that year.
Bono expressed the sentiment of Live 8 participants and news
anchors alike on ABC’s June 30 World News Tonight when he
said he was “always going to be disappointed with the numbers.”
It’s easy for him to say that; he’s got the $48 million. And it’s
easy for reporters to fill air time with celebrities. But
journalists need to do the difficult work of reporting on the
realities of Africa’s situation, and they need to be honest about
how generous Americans really are. Honest, thorough reporting —
now that’s something I’d pay to see.
