The word My was used as that is the correct word. You could be Zimbabwean for all I know. I was not excluding you, but it still is MY COUNTRY.
BTW people in rural areas do not have countless sources of information. In fact they are extremely limited to mainstream media (ABC, CBS, NBC) and local newpapers. And though the data was from 1986 until the last few months weren't all the anchors the same in 1986?