The Prisma series: “Journalists and Immigrants in the UK”
Having lived in both Zambia and Britain, Tchiyiwe Chihana is aware of the difficulties faced by first- and second-generation immigrants. As managing director of Yorkshire-based African Voices Platform, she has strived to ensure that the diaspora remains well-informed and well-connected to the country they now live in.
Harry Allen
When she was a child Tchiyiwe would wake up early in the morning to watch the current affairs news with her father, she didn’t really understand much at nine years old, but it was the thrill of trying to make sense of it all that sparked her love for media.
Even though her mother and father had to travel back and forth to Zambia frequently, she has seen firsthand their struggles in Britain and appreciates how she can still ‘have one leg in the diaspora’ whilst admitting that it’s harder for a first-generation immigrant to take bolder steps when inside an alien culture.
Growing up between Zambia, Britain and South Africa has meant she has had to fuse her identities into something relatable. It was easy to see the disconnect many felt with the media in her own city of Sheffield.
“There was no space within Sheffield where you could actually get African-informed, African-focused narratives that Africans could speak to.”
It is difficult to believe with all the cultural exposure many working in British media have had, contemporary journalism still struggles to portray experiences beyond their own lens. This “£2 a day to save a child” mentality has been a major source of frustration for Tchiywe.
It can’t be said that the situation has improved since Donald Trump’s infamous “Shithole” comments back in 2018, which have only emboldened Tchiywe and her colleagues resolve.
“That’s exactly not who we are” she says, referring to the mainstream media perspective of the African continent.
African Voices Platform (AVP) sees one of its guiding principles as ‘participation’ and they’re committed to building a safe space for Africans everywhere, giving them access to own and shape the narrative of their lived experience, alongside amplifying their voices’. “I feel like my parents would probably have been less bold about stepping up and [building] something like this.” Tchiywe says, “[you] take fewer bold steps” as a first-generation immigrant.
Data shows us that 88% of journalists in the UK come from a white background – which isn’t inherently a bad thing, but it certainly has limited the scope and diversity in the reporting sphere.
“We exist as people before we are journalists, right?” Tchiywe continues, “It’s okay to come with a personal agenda or platform because you want to own your own narrative.”
Even though AVP is growing and providing an entry point for journalists of African descent, their struggles have largely been capacity, Tchiywe admits.
African Voices has grown fundamentally through a series of community contributions and its recognition within many faith-based African communities in Sheffield.
“You’re only as good as your last person, right? Your last guest” she says, applauding the existing networks that have propelled her own reporting. The ability to bring people together, has made AVP a crucial source of news across a range of African cultures, language and religious diasporas in the UK. Insofar that it has received funding from the HM government, the National Lottery, and assistance from larger media outlets such as Sheffield Live.
“I think we’ve started to gain that credibility, but we’re still often a footnote” she adds, not shying away from the clear difficulties of being an immigrant-based media outlet.
Aside from the fact that AVP is run by first- and second-generation immigrants, and the difficulties that brings in terms of respectability politics, often means having to conform to a very white-dominated media landscape where you may not actually want to, but it will give you approval from the mainstream, however Tchiywe also recognises that people are losing faith in the media in general.
“People are not trying to listen to the [mainstream] machine.” She further explains, “people want to listen to people”.
It became more important than ever to find a trustworthy news source when far-right riots took place across the country this past summer.
For Tchiywe, who was working at one of her clients’ book launches at the time, not far from the attacks on migrant hotels, it was a nerve-wracking time.
She recounts how intense the isolation her parents must’ve felt back in the 70’s and 80’s when there were nearly zero news outlets aimed at connecting immigrants, and at the very worst, those that existed were not encouraged by the rise of groups like the National Front, who actively tried to supress immigrant congregations.
In addition she is well aware of the differences that many new immigrants face today when it comes to discriminatory language, “I think [the racism] these days is very sophisticated and masked in good language, in political language, the [sort of] political rhetoric that is harmful.”
“It was an absolutely terrifying summer. And you didn’t know who to trust, [or] who your allies were” Tchiywe says.
That hasn’t stopped her making bold steps, recently achieving a radio-ready-licence for African Voices. This will be a massive addition to the platforms ability to reach wider audiences across the Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley region in 2025 and beyond.
Despite these advances, Tchiywe appreciates that many immigrants often have to take low-paying jobs to survive and maintain their citizenship status. That security of having legal status, she admits, has allowed her to pursue her ambitions compared to others in her sphere.
“I might have a bit more leeway, you know, because I’ve got that safety net [of citizenship].”
Still, she acknowledges that citizenship doesn’t always equate to feeling fully at home.
Reflecting on the experiences of the Caribbean immigrants who arrived on the HMS Windrush in the 1950s, she says, “Even for me, it’s not like I’m wholly comfortable. I think you need to be part of, you know, the Windrush generation, per se, that’s more home. Maybe because I’m newer to the environment, right?” Tchiywe appreciates the privileges of this global perspective, but she also recognizes the uncertainty it brings. “There are things I’m uncertain about when I’m back in the UK. In many ways, I think it’s relatable for me.”
Her perspective makes her uniquely attuned to the struggles of navigating systems in the UK as an immigrant. “When people are struggling to make their way in the UK, to understand systems, it is something I understand because I haven’t entirely spent my whole life here.”
Through her work with African Voices, Tchiywe continues to create spaces where immigrants can feel represented, understood, and empowered to tell their stories.
It is a personal and professional mission to challenge stereotypes, build bridges, and foster connection within immigrant communities, something she is deeply attached to thanks to a diverse upbringing.
(Photos provided by the interviewee and authorised for publication)
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