Africa's Media, Democracy and the Politics of BelongingThis major study explores the role of the mass media in promoting democracy and empowering civil society in Africa. The author contextualizes Africa within in the rapidly changing global media and shows how patterns of media ownership and state control have evolved and the huge difficulties under which most African media workers labour. The author also explores the whole question of media ethics and professionalism in Africa. The general analysis is supported by a very detailed unique case study of Cameroon. Nyamnjoh is critical of the Western-derived institutional framework for multi-party democracy that overlooks the social realities of African citizens' multiple identities, and their cultural orientation to communal values. He also concludes that African governments have gone very little way in encouraging independent media, but that the media themselves must also share some of the blame. |
From inside the book
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Page 2
... tion at their disposal . The media have an enormous potential to provide such knowledge and education , but the media can also be a vehicle for uncritical assumptions , beliefs , stereotypes , ideologies and orthodoxies that blunt ...
... tion at their disposal . The media have an enormous potential to provide such knowledge and education , but the media can also be a vehicle for uncritical assumptions , beliefs , stereotypes , ideologies and orthodoxies that blunt ...
Page 3
... tion of the various cultural , ethnic or sectarian groups with which they identify ( see Chapter 1 ) . The politics of belonging is thus central to understanding democracy in Africa and the role of the media in promoting it . The ...
... tion of the various cultural , ethnic or sectarian groups with which they identify ( see Chapter 1 ) . The politics of belonging is thus central to understanding democracy in Africa and the role of the media in promoting it . The ...
Page 5
... tion media and democracy in Africa but also to talk of equality and participation when communication infrastructure is so dispropor- tionately distributed between , as well as within , the rich and poor areas of the North and the South ...
... tion media and democracy in Africa but also to talk of equality and participation when communication infrastructure is so dispropor- tionately distributed between , as well as within , the rich and poor areas of the North and the South ...
Page 6
... tion , abortion , crime and other major issues could be made with the direct participation of the electorate . In the USA , for example , email has enhanced and accelerated citizen participation in politics between elections ( Grossman ...
... tion , abortion , crime and other major issues could be made with the direct participation of the electorate . In the USA , for example , email has enhanced and accelerated citizen participation in politics between elections ( Grossman ...
Page 9
... tion ' ( van Binsbergen 2004 ) . Even in the USA , where the most extravagant claims are made about the potential and reality of the Internet , research on the social background of users reveals a typical pattern : they are mostly male ...
... tion ' ( van Binsbergen 2004 ) . Even in the USA , where the most extravagant claims are made about the potential and reality of the Internet , research on the social background of users reveals a typical pattern : they are mostly male ...
Contents
In the Name of Democracy The Press and Its Predicaments | 25 |
Stalling Democratisation in Africa | 28 |
Ethnicity and belonging | 34 |
Media Ownership and Control Patterns in Africa | 39 |
Press Freedom and Democratisation in Africa in the 1990s | 53 |
To What Extent Are Journalists and the Media to Blame? | 65 |
Media Ethics Professionalism and Training in Africa | 81 |
On Training and Professionalism | 94 |
Professionalism and Ethics in the Private Press in Cameroon | 185 |
Lack of Professionalism and Adequate Organisation before 1996 | 192 |
The Union of Cameroon Journalists UCJ | 195 |
Proliferation of Newspapers | 199 |
Creative Appropriation of ICTs Rumour Press Cartoons and Politics | 204 |
Creative Appropriation of ICTs | 205 |
Political Rumour | 209 |
Cartooning and Democracy in Africa | 219 |
Multiparty Politics in Cameroon | 100 |
Politics in the 1990s | 110 |
The Official Media Belonging and Democratisation | 125 |
The Colonial State and Broadcasting | 126 |
Broadcasting in the Postcolonial OneParty State | 128 |
Broadcasting in the 19905 CRTV and the democratic process | 138 |
Cameroon Tribune SOPECAM and the Democratic Process | 154 |
The Legal Framework and the Private Press | 161 |
Critical Analysis of the 1990 Media Law | 168 |
The Law as Interpreted by Government | 170 |
The Law as Interpreted by the Press | 175 |
Modification of the 1990 Media Law | 181 |
Liberal Democracy Victim of a Partisan and Ethnic Press | 231 |
Polarisation in the Press | 234 |
The Politics of Belonging | 237 |
Press and Politics of Belonging from 1996 | 243 |
Press and Politics of Belonging Prior to 1996 | 245 |
Conclusion | 249 |
Communications Policies in Africa Lessons from the West | 254 |
Critical Appraisal of Western Ownership and Control Policies | 255 |
274 | |
299 | |
Other editions - View all
Africa's Media, Democracy and the Politics of Belonging Francis B. Nyamnjoh No preview available - 2005 |
Africa's Media, Democracy and the Politics of Belonging Francis B. Nyamnjoh No preview available - 2005 |
Common terms and phrases
According accused administrative Africa Ahidjo alternative anglophone argues associations authorities Bamileke become belonging Beti broadcasting Cameroon Cameroon Tribune Cameroonian cartoons censorship Chapter civil society claim colonial communication concerned continue countries CPDM created creative critical CRTV cultural democratic democratisation discussion economic effect elections elite ethnic example Expression fact forces France freedom French given global groups idea important independent individual institutions interests Internet issues journalism journalists less liberal democracy major March Messager minister newspapers Nyamnjoh official opposition organisations party political popular position Post practice presented President President Biya private press professional programmes promoting published question radio reality regional remained reports repressive responsibility role ruling rumour seeking serve situation social society South technologies television tended tion various West
Popular passages
Page 13 - expanding rapidly, and almost all countries have some form of local or internationally hosted web server, unofficially or officially representing the country with varying degrees of comprehensiveness", although in general these websites are underused (Jensen 2000: 217).
Page 293 - Media and Democracy: Theories and Principles with Reference to an African Context, Harare: Sapes Books.