Participatory Politics And Citizen Journalism In A Networked Africa

This book investigates the role of citizen journalism in railroading social and political changes in sub-Saharan Africa. Case studies are drawn from research conducted by leading scholars from the fields of media studies, journalism, anthropology and history, who uniquely probe the real impact of technologies in driving change in Africa.

This book investigates the role of citizen journalism in railroading social and political changes in sub-Saharan Africa. Case studies are drawn from research conducted by leading scholars from the fields of media studies, journalism, anthropology and history, who uniquely probe the real impact of technologies in driving change in Africa.

Provides a conceptualisation of citizen journalism as a political practice developed through analyses of an historical and postcolonial case.

Through innovative research studies and expert commentaries, this book documents the fast evolving invention of the relationship between the millions of social media and mobile phone users around Africa and traditional purveyors of news. Whilst social media demonstrates an unprecedented ability for the politically engaged to both bypass and influence traditional information flows, it also faces unique circumstances through much of Africa. Signs of social change brought by mobile technology are evident around the continent, raising questions about the nature of information exchange and citizenship. Working from a wide variety of perspectives and methodologies, the contributors to this collection address key questions emerging from rapid communication change in Africa. This book reveals how new, participatory, interactive communications technologies are enabling new tellings of Africa’s stories. This book was originally published as a special issue of Ecquid Novi: African Journalism Studies.

In a disruptive media landscape characterized by the relentless death of legacy newspapers, Nigeria's Digital Diaspora shows that a country's transnational elite can shake its media ecosystem through distant online citizen journalism.

This is a compilation of contemporary, accessible material from reputable academics with an interest in the South African media, and the changes that are currently impacting on the public's ability to engage with it. The book addresses two vital sections of the communication landscape in South Africa. Firstly, it introduces notions and practices of citizen journalism in the growing trend of civilians providing media footage, blogging and SMS commentary. Secondly, it looks at the prevalence and effectiveness of community media, as well as the challenges such media face on a day-to-day basis. In this way, the text explores the scope and effectiveness of two alternative forms of communication that in theory are designed to allow for the 'voiceless' citizenry to express their opinions and experiences. To enhance active learning practices, each chapter starts with key terms and concepts. South African examples are provided to show relevance and the applicability of theoretical frameworks. To assist with the consolidation process, each chapter ends with topics/questions for discussion and suggested further reading.

Technological, cultural and economic forces are transforming political communication, posing challenges and opportunities for politicians and media organisations, while at the same time many governments and civil society express concerns about the extent and nature of political empowerment and civic engagement. This book offers an international perspective on current thinking and practice about civic and audience empowerment, focusing on the ways and means through which media can empower or dis-empower citizens as audiences. It features theoretical and empirical chapters that draw specific attention to a reappraisal of the theories, methods and issues that inform our understanding of citizens and audiences in contemporary politics. The authors address the following questions: How much and what sorts of civic and audience empowerment are most desirable, and how does this differ cross-nationally? How do citizens relate to private and public spaces? How do citizens function in online, networked, liminal and alternative spaces? How do audiences of ‘non-political’ media spaces relate their experiences to politics? How are political parties and movements utilising audiences as co-creators of political communication and what are the consequences for democracy? With examples from the UK, USA, Holland, France, Germany, The Middle East, South Africa and Mexico, this innovative volume will be of interest to students and scholars of political science, marketing, journalism, cultural studies, public relations, media and international relations.