This study critically examines the portrayal of isithembu (polygyny) in the South African television shows Mnakwethu (Season 3) and Mnakwethu: Happily Ever After?, focusing on how polygamy and women's experiences are represented. Using a qualitative desktop approach, content and textual analyses of the shows were conducted, which were complemented by relevant literature on polygamy and media representation. The study was guided by Media Framing Theory and African Feminism Theory, enabling an exploration of how television producers construct narratives around polygamy and how these narratives impact women's agency and gender dynamics. Findings reveal that men often introduce additional wives in highly mediated, public settings, creating pressure and reinforcing patriarchal norms, while women's responses reflect negotiation, resistance and emotional complexity. The study also highlights the misrepresentation of polygamy in media, including inaccurate use of marital terminology and justifications for unfaithfulness. The research calls for culturally informed media practices to ensure accurate representation of African cultural practices and suggests further investigation into the long-term social, emotional and familial impacts of polygamy.
This study comparatively analyses the coverage of rural and urban communities in Nigerian newspapers to substantiate the claim of quantitative and qualitative imbalance in the coverage of rural Nigerian communities that are considered to be in urgent need of development. Three widely read national newspapers-The Guardian, The Punch and Vanguard-were studied between January and December 2023. The unit of analysis included news reports, editorials and articles. Categories analysed were the quantity of rural and urban stories, issues reported, slant of the reports, and depth and prominence given to the stories. Thirty-six editions were randomly selected across the three newspapers using Stempel's constructed week procedure. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data, and T-test to test statistical differences be24tween the averages of rural and urban coverage. The findings contradicted long-held evidence of an imbalance in reporting rural areas by Nigerian newspapers and found that while there is a quantitative imbalance, there is no evidence of qualitative imbalance in rural coverage by the Nigerian press. Any observed qualitative imbalance is because the urban areas have a greater number of stories appearing in the newspapers. A serious commitment to establishing indigenous media in rural areas of Nigeria is advised.
The 2018 Zimbabwean elections marked a significant moment in the country's political history, as they were the first to be held without former president Robert Mugabe, who had been in power for over 30 years. This article investigates the political rebranding strategies employed by Mnangagwa and the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front in the 2018 elections, specifically focusing on their use of social media. The research analyses a selection of Twitter (X) posts made by Mnangagwa and the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front in the run-up to the elections and during the election campaign itself. The article demonstrates that President Mnangagwa and the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front employed a range of political rebranding strategies in their Twitter (X) posts. One key strategy was to emphasise their commitment to transparency and accountability, particularly in relation to the management of the economy and the fight against corruption. This was reflected in posts that highlighted the government's efforts to attract foreign investment, create jobs and improve public services. Another key strategy was to portray or position President Mnangagwa and the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front as agents of change, who were committed to breaking with the past and creating a more democratic and inclusive Zimbabwe.
Yoruba-a language spoken by the majority population in Southwest Nigeria continues to suffer a decline on a daily basis, particularly among the young generation of the population, thus raising concerns about possible extinction of the language. In a bid to prevent the extinction of the language, indigenous radio programmes have become essential tools in preserving the language through contents tailored to shaping cultural identity, ethnicity, social status and language. This study examined radio listeners' preferences for Yoruba-language programmes on radio, as well as the extent of listenership of the selected indigenous Yoruba radio programmes-Yoruba Ladun on Eagle 102.5FM and Yooba Dun on Splash 106.7FM. It adopted a mixed-methods approach by combining survey and key informant interviews to gather data from 330 radio listeners in two cities-Abeokuta and Ijebu-Ilese, Ogun State. The interview transcripts were thematically analysed. Findings show that respondents were highly satisfied with Yoruba-language programme content, particularly the segments on culture, tradition, folklore, proverbs and book readings. Regardless, it was recommended that competing radio stations adopt similar initiatives, while incentives such as giveaways and inviting listeners as guests on the programmes could be a means of motivation for overall programme sustainability.
Like many media and communication initiatives for development and social change that are highly global in nature, the social impact of expanding the broadcast footprint of the Paralympic Games to regions such as sub-Saharan Africa is often simply assumed, and the markers of success are underpinned by a reach-centric logic. In this paper, we explore whether and how the Paralympics can become a platform for social change. Informed by findings from a four-year participatory action research project, this paper analyses experimentation with different communication for social change approaches related to para sport and the Paralympics, with a focus on Malawi. The Paralympics presents a unique context for analysing communication for social change, as it involves collaboration between non-profit and commercial stakeholders. We advance and operationalise the concept of "communication for localisation," combined with an ecological approach to communication, to draw attention to the agency of local actors in interpreting global media content. We highlight four moments of "making" that demonstrate practices of localisation and interpretation that are important for grounding the Paralympics within local contexts in meaningful and impactful ways.
This study explores the perceptions of academics and practitioners regarding the impact of journalism studies research and education on journalistic practice in Africa. Drawing on social constructivism theory, the study advances a journalist-academic knowledge exchange (JAKE) framework to assess the extent and perceived relevance of engagements between journalism studies academics and practitioners. Data were collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews with 19 journalists and journalism academics from Eswatini, Ghana, South Africa, and Zambia. Regarding the extent to which collaborations occur, the engagement spectrum ranges from limited awareness to practical and meaningful integration. Regarding the collaborations between educational institutions and journalistic organisations, our study found the significance of knowledge exchange agreements and sustained engagement, as opposed to informal, one-time interactions at the level of individual journalists and academics. In addressing the alignment of journalism studies research and education with the needs of professional journalism, our study underscores the importance of mutual recognition and knowledge exchange. Respondents believed that through accessible and applicable knowledge sharing, such as creating a forum for both parties to disseminate and engage with academic research, stakeholders can move beyond power dynamics and cultivate more equitable collaborations.
Some studies report that top-down COVID-19 communication interventions failed to address local structural challenges, such as stigma and lack of access to media forms, which led to communicative marginalisation among resource-limited communities. This article explores how the community radio medium could facilitate host community members' participation in COVID-19 communication interventions amid these local structural factors. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. The researchers collected qualitative data using focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. A reflexive thematic analysis revealed that Radio Peace, the selected community radio station for this research, employed participatory COVID-19 communication strategies to address barriers to listeners' involvement in its COVID-19 interventions, such as stigma and lack of media access. This study found that community radio allows host community members to articulate their health communication needs and engage with structural barriers influencing their involvement in the station's COVID-19 communication interventions. However, the study identified barriers to community members' access to and participation in community radio's COVID-19 communication interventions, including indecorous language during on-air discourses. We suggest integrating trusted voices, such as local religious leaders and COVID-19 survivors, into community radio's COVID-19 communication interventions to address stigma.
It is generally agreed that the media have played and continue to play a major role in the efforts against HIV and AIDS. The literature shows that the media have not only informed the public but also circulated ideas that frame the pandemic in particular ways. The aim of this study was to uncover such ideas by examining how Sesotho newspapers represented HIV and AIDS between 1986 and 2015. Drawing on Critical Discourse Analysis, the study focused on the ideologies encoded in dehumanising metaphors. The findings reveal that the main ideological function of these metaphors has been to promote stigma against those affected by the pandemic. The findings show that the newspapers used a variety of metaphors to achieve this goal, including those with the source domains of "dirt," "plants" and "animals." Although the use of these metaphors gradually declined over time, their long-lasting influence remains evident, as stigma continues to be a major barrier to HIV prevention, treatment and care in Lesotho. These findings suggest that value-free reporting can help to mitigate stigma and support effective HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment efforts.
This 2023 study examines how urban, middle-class residents in Gauteng, South Africa adapt their TV viewing habits during load shedding, using survey data from 330 participants and follow-up interviews. The findings show that access to mobile devices, reliable internet, and backup power matters more than electricity alone. While traditional TV is being disrupted, many people use smartphones, mobile data, UPS-powered Wi-Fi, or pre-downloaded content, favouring platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and Showmax for their offline and mobile-friendly features. Yet, about a quarter cannot watch TV during power outages due to data costs or a lack of power backups. The study focuses on urban participants, noting limitations and calling for further research into rural and low-income communities. It urges the implementation of affordable internet and power solutions to ensure equitable media access.
On November 10, 1995 the Nigerian military regime executed author and political activist Ken Saro-Wiwa in spite of widespread international condemnation. This study examines American and British elite press coverage of Saro-Wiwa's activism for the environment of the Niger Delta, the Ogoni people and the role Shell Oil played. Based on framing and content analysis, I argue that coverage was mostly episodic and revolved around Saro-Wiwa himself. His activism brought a modest increase of coverage that dissipated after his death. However, this study reveals differences in reporting between the American and British press, especially concerning the role of Shell Oil.
Academic inquiry into uncivil discourses has provided valuable insights into the phenomenon globally. However, little is known about how topical issues in Africa manifest this phenomenon on online news forums. This study contributes to the broader discourse of incivility by investigating the thematic manifestations of uncivil discourses in Africa using a case study of Ghana's lithium deal on Ghanaweb and identifying their targets. Employing both inductive and deductive coding to analyse user comments (n=211), four main themes emerged: elite exploitation of the country's mineral resources; calls for local sovereignty; calls for stakeholder accountability; and stereotypical ethnic attacks. The study reveals that uncivil comments were directed towards political figures, parties, ethnic groups and foreign investors. The broader implications of our findings for the praxis of political and media studies are highlighted.
Since its release in 2006, Survivor South Africa, a franchise of the global Survivor reality television format, has run for multiple seasons featuring South African "castaways" who compete in supposedly wild foreign locales. Survivor SA: Immunity Island (2021), the eighth season of the show, offers a novel opportunity to examine how the colonial discourses of exoticism and otherness central to the Survivor franchise are adapted to a local context. The season was unexpectedly relocated from the Philippine Island of Palawan to the South African Wild Coast due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. This marked the first time the show was shot domestically. Through a close textual analysis of the season's premiere episode, I explore how the cultural specificity of the Wild Coast is erased in order to construct it as exotic and "other" from the South African nation. By layering a national reality television gameshow over an imagined wild colonial past, the show brings two versions of South Africa into tension: a contemporary nation state and a romanticised past framed by myths of primitivism. This spatial and temporal dislocation brings attention to the erasures and inconsistencies required in order to produce Survivor's colonial adventure fantasy for contemporary audiences.
In this study, I discuss the prevalence of mental health conditions in Nigerian Afrobeats artistes and social problems plaguing the music industry in Nigeria. Drawing upon the ordeals of some hip-hop artistes in the country, I argue that conflictual relationships between music artistes and their support groups or record labels may trigger mental health problems in the artistes. I examine what Nigerian Afrobeats artistes go through in the course of their career development, how they respond to stardom and the challenges accompanying their career growth. Borrowing insights from phenomenology, I equally investigate hermeneutic themes in the songs of Omah Lay and MohBad with the aim of exploring their lifeworld and the lived experience of what it means to become depressed in the context of Nigerian Afrobeats subculture. I consider the specific stories the artistes tell to foreground the subtext of mental health issues, just as I interrogate some ontological questions raised in their songs. Seven songs in Omah Lay's Boy Alone album and eight of MohBad's singles are critically analysed to focalise their phenomenality in terms of content, intentional object and prominent isolated phenomenal themes. A hypothesis underlying the relationship between the artistes and their music is generated, helping to claim that the artistes under study used music to reflect life struggles, explore memories and raise critical questions on mortality and existential dread.
Radio has always been, and still is, one of the most useful, available and affordable media. Radio has remained relevant and continues to build communities through its programming. This article investigates public participation in the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) radio stations using Sithakela Isizwe on Ukhozi FM and The View Point on SAfm as case studies. These two radio stations are relevant case studies with which to explore public participation in SABC. The article investigates how public participation is achieved and the extent to which the public, radio presenters and producers influence the programming of the shows. This qualitative study employed content and thematic analysis in collecting and analysing the data and used purposive sampling for the respondents and a month for the recording of both shows. The public sphere theory helped in understanding the realm established by the shows. The study revealed that the two shows formed a virtual public sphere, which shows that there is public participation in SABC radio stations, particularly the shows in question. This public participation is achieved through social media and telephonic call-ins. Findings revealed that social media, technology and the Internet have not killed radio, but that radio has enhanced the virtual public sphere. Further, it was found that the public has an influence, to a certain extent, on the programming of the shows. These findings are tempered to take cognisance of the need to balance the competing principles of the right to free speech and public expression of opinions, and the inevitable imposition of partial censorship in order to avoid the broadcast of derogatory, discriminatory and illegal content on air.
This article develops an original pedagogical model, a Lab(oratory) for training and scientific practice in the field of Communication for Social Change. The proposal arises from the practical experiences achieved through the collaborative work of the Kaleidoscope Network, which is an international epistemic and practical community for the study of digital culture and human development. The case studies used by the Kaleidoscope Network are derived from over two decades of experience in Mexico. Despite their regional origin, the Lab proposal asserts its international significance, particularly within the realm of training and practice in social science in the Global South. First, the article offers a description of and reflection on the context of colonial hegemony, inequality and resource scarcity in public universities in the Global South. Second, the theoretical framework and central principles of the model are developed. Subsequently, through a literature review and analysis, the conceptual design of the proposal is built. Finally, the laboratory's design is presented to readers for reflection, discussion and contribution, which, in summary, proposes a critical-creative pedagogy embedded in science for social transformation that is open, ethical, humane and inclusive.
Despite the excellent health care of modern times, lifestyle-related illnesses are increasing at a startling rate. Contemporary society contributes to behaviours such as poor nutrition, inactivity, poor sleep and excessive stress. However, exercise has been proven to reduce the chances of health problems and more information about ways to improve the quality of one's lifestyle is readily available through the Internet. The impact that biohacking YouTube videos have on shaping the knowledge and fitness of the general public is examined. It is argued that this form of literacy enables corporeal control and transformation and that the digital platform contributes to do-it-yourself healthcare. A parallel is drawn between the historical impact of the development of the printing press on public literacy, and the effect of social media on improving fitness literacy. Top-performing fitness channels were analysed to determine the impact of biohacking media on YouTube. While user engagement on popular fitness videos reflected different degrees of understanding of fitness practices, analysis of user engagement clearly revealed aspects of increased fitness literacy in public discourse on YouTube. It is concluded that YouTube stimulates the enhancement of audience fitness literacy, thereby influencing do-it-yourself healthcare of the lay public.
This study addresses the problem of Western-centric governance frameworks dominating the internet in Africa, which often exclude African perspectives and fail to meet local societal needs. Adopting a decolonial theory, particularly drawing on the concept of Ubuntu, the research critically analyses the African Union's and Rwanda's artificial intelligence (AI) policies to explore how these frameworks can be more inclusive and people-oriented. Using qualitative methods, including policy document analysis and case studies, the study reveals significant gaps in current governance approaches that prioritise market-driven ideologies over human-centred development. The findings underscore the need for a decolonised, responsive internet governance structure in Africa that better serves its diverse populations.
