Celebrated journalist Larry Madowo has disclosed reasons why he quit BBC, opting to relocate back to Kenya as CNN's Nairobi-based correspondent.
Madowo, on Wednesday, May 19, in an interview with Bizcommunity detailed that he was tired of criticising the problematic coverage of Africa and wanted to highlight the events and plight of the continent in detail.
"We’ve discussed my role with the leadership at CNN since last year and this was the perfect time. I’ve always been critical of some of the foreign media’s coverage of Africa, so I felt challenged when the CNN opportunity came up.
"It’s easy to criticise other journalists’ African reporting from the comforts of America, but I chose to come back, so the audience can hold me accountable to the same standards I preached," the former BBC’s North America correspondent in Washington DC stated.
The Knight-Bagehot Fellow added that he was excited about returning home where he started his career as a 20-year-old trainee at KTN. On his last day at BBC, he satirically stated that he would cover a tiny continent with 55 countries.
"I’m thrilled to be heading back home (to Nairobi) and starting a new assignment with CNN covering a patch that’s close to my heart. Whether I’m working in Johannesburg, London or Washington, Nairobi has always been special to me.
"This is an amazing platform to showcase the full breadth of African life with a massive audience and I can’t wait to get started. I’m an African and covering this continent’s history being written in real-time is a huge privilege," the former BBC World News America anchor proudly acknowledged.
Madowo covered major events in the US. From the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 Presidential election won by Joe Biden and the demonstrations centred around the death of George Floyd and the trial of policeman Derek Chauvin.
He vowed to compliment the work of CNN colleagues Nima Elbagir and David McKenzie who have been reporting about Africa and to also visit African countries he had never toured before.
"I’m also looking forward to reconnecting with lots of friends and colleagues as their cities reopen. It’s also a little bittersweet because I’m leaving behind kind and thoughtful people in North America. I guess I had to choose and the motherland won.
"This job allows you to really develop a connection with people, many of whom you’ll never meet. I also love how far it has taken me, to every corner of the world and introduced me to lots of people who are nothing like me. But most of all, journalism means that people trust you with their stories and hope that you do them justice," the ex-NTV anchor stated.
