In the course of their reporting on the Garissa attack [2] in Kenya, CNN showed a map that labelled Uganda as Tanzania and presented Nairobi as a city in Nigeria. This went down badly with many African netizens.
LRTs @CNN [3] is really disrespectful of Africa as a continent. Nairobi is in Nigeria and now Uganda is Tanzania. pic.twitter.com/qDHfXBeVbO [4]
— Rumbidzai Dube (@dubbydacious) April 4, 2015 [5]
Patra, a social media manager with the television station NTV Uganda, said:
Dear CNN, Uganda is not Tanzania pic.twitter.com/lp6Gg2zHM9 [6]
— Patu (@AyamPatra) April 3, 2015 [7]
Replying to Patra, Mollel advised:
@Steve_RF [8] @AyamPatra [9] I think someone doing this at CNN should go to a class of geography:had said Nigeria instead of Kenya and now this!
— Mollel (@jmollel) April 3, 2015 [10]
Biko Stephen remarked:
@texasinafrica [11] @AyamPatra [9] CNN are an embarrassment. Just too many faux pas!
— Biko Stephen (@BikoIntellect) April 3, 2015 [12]
The incident hardened the view that the American news outlet thinks Africa is a country:
Sometimes it feels like @CNN [3] are the only hardline Pan-Africanists left. They don't believe national borders or names mean anything!
— AFRICA IS A COUNTRY (@AfricasaCountry) April 3, 2015 [13]
Giovanna Bunei picked on CNN's staff:
Oi, people at @CNN [3], did anyone in the newsroom actually pass geography in school? @samirasawlani [14] @Ramah_Nyang [15] @OfwonoOpondo [16] @AfricasaCountry [17]
— Giovanna Bunei (@giobunei) April 3, 2015 [18]
And the ranting continued:
“@MisLongLegs [19]: “@kollinsayz [20]: Dear @CNN [3] Africa is not a country!” Do they ever learn!?” do they even care?
— Kollin Rukundo T (@kollinsayz) April 3, 2015 [21]
Chano8 commented [22]:
With such small mistakes made by one of the most respectable news networks all over the world, make one simple explanation. They are also human.
On Facebook, Wamoka Derrick argued that [23] the problem is not CNN, but the fact that Uganda is not well known:
Its Not CNN's Mistake.
We Are The Onez Who Made A Mistake Bse They Dont Know Us.
THAT SIMPLY SHOWS THAT IN EASTAFRICA, UGANDA IS LESS KNOWN WORLDWIDE.
Dennis Ntume replied [24]:
How can you guys be saying they don't know about us when their grandfathers are the ones who demarcated our boarders? They know but are either complacent or, [it was] intended!