New News Out of Africa

Charlayne Hunter-Gault was interviewed by Gayle Smith about her book New News Out of Africa: Uncovering Africa’s Renaissance, published by Oxford University Press. Ms. Hunter-Gault argued that there is more to Africa than bad news of disease, disaster and despair. She examined the continent’s social and economic conditions and assessed South Africa’s progress since the end of apartheid. In an approach that combines personal memoir and journalistic observation and analysis, Ms. Hunter-Gault divided her book into three parts. She focused first on South Africa where she had been living for several years, then on the continent-wide efforts to make the most changes since the end of colonialism, and then on the challenges that journalists must confront to report from that continent. After the interview Ms. Hunter-Gault responded to audience members' questions. close