"The proceedings of a conference held at the Africa Institute of South Africa in 2009, this is a major new collection of essays on the state of scholarly publishing in Africa, with a strong emphasis on the situation in South Africa. The conference was convened, and the papers published, in an attemp
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t to influence “policymakers and other relevant stakeholders in developing an enabling environment for scholarly publishing to thrive.” Containing a total of 26 papers – all of them, usefully, preceded by abstracts – content is arranged under seven sections: (i) The State of Research Publishing in Africa, (ii) The State of Scholarly Publishing in Africa, (iii) The Challenges of Book Distribution, (iv) The Impact of Information and Communication Technologies on Scholarly Publishing, (v) Alternative Publishing Models, (vi) The Politics of Peer Review in Scholarly Publishing, and (vii) Scholarly Publishing and Intellectual Property Development in Africa. While the majority of the contributors are from South Africa, other contributors include Kenyan veteran publisher Henry Chakava, James Currey of James Currey Publishers, Mary Jay, Chief Executive of the Oxford-based African Books Collective, and a number of academics from the West African region. The book is particularly strong in overviews of scholarly publishing in South Africa, covering both book and journal publishing. It offers some interesting discussions and fresh insights about alternative publishing and distribution models, with articles reporting about new initiatives and strategy approaches, and also including papers on the politics and practise of the peer review process, and on South African intellectual property rights. One or two papers, by academics from other regions of Africa, unfortunately are weak and poorly informed about the current state of scholarly publishing in Africa, for example citing literature that goes back to books and articles published in the 1970s and 1980s. However, the book can be seen as a useful companion to ‘African Scholarly Publishing Essays’, edited by Alois Mlambo, and published by African Books Collective in 2006." (Hans M. Zell, Publishing, Books & Reading in Sub-Saharan Africa, 3d ed. 2008, nr. 2581)
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"This book is the result of several years of observation, analysis, consultation and synthesis of the adaptation of ict s to local languages in Africa. The goal of the Pan Africa Localization project led by Don Osborn was to closely track the progress of ict s in African languages and clearly identi
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fy the priorities that the Pan African Network for Localization (anloc) will pursue in its work plan. This book is a revised version of the project’s final report. By collecting and compiling all the data presented in this book, Don has helped establish anloc’s research network and has provided an accurate picture of ict localisation in Africa. This publication will thus be useful for decision-makers intending to develop a language policy, developers working on language processing, researchers in the area of languages and information technologies, donor agencies that fund projects to support local languages, and ict users wanting to use these technologies in their local language." (Foreword, page x)
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"Diversos estudios han observado el efecto que puede tener el consumo de televisión en los estereotipos o rasgos con que las personas identifican a los grupos minoritarios (Busselle y Crandall, 2002). En el caso mexicano, aunque el colectivo indígena de la población ha sido estudiado desde divers
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as disciplinas, sin embargo siguen siendo escasos los análisis sobre su representación mediática o sobre la percepción pública que se tiene de este colectivo. A tal efecto, se realizó una investigación mediante cuestionario, aplicado a 447 estudiantes de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, el Tecnológico de Monterrey y la Universidad Anáhuac, a los que se les preguntó por su consumo de televisión, los rasgos que consideraban que definían a los indígenas mexicanos y sus percepciones prejuiciosas respecto de este grupo social. Los resultados mostraron que el consumo de televisión no explicaba la generación de estereotipos negativos o positivos. Además, se detectó que el prejuicio aumentaba cuando era mayor el consumo televisivo y la presencia de estereotipos negativos, mientras que disminuía si los estereotipos positivos estaban presentes." (Resumen)
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"The Anthropology of News and Journalism is the first book to explore the role of news and journalism in contemporary culture from an anthropological perspective—as a form of cultural meaning-making in its creation, content, and dissemination. Anthropology's global, comparative perspective and eth
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nographic methods provide powerful insights for analyzing case studies from around the world. Essays by leading scholars explore communities of professional and nonprofessional journalists. They describe news-making processes ranging from the local to the global digital environment, as well as how news is disseminated and received in a variety of cultural settings." (Publisher description)
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"En 1953, el cineasta boliviano Jorge Ruiz realizó el documental 'Vuelve Sebastiana' con la ayuda de Augusto Roca, Chovel, conocido como 'Pajarito' y el guión de Luis Ramiro Beltrán. Este libro es un homenaje a aquella aventura y especialmente a Sebastiana Kespi, su protagonista, y al admirado y
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valeroso pueblo Chipaya." (Página 11)
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"FUNREDES and Union Latine have designed an original research method to measure linguistic diversity in cyberspace. The aim was to use search engines and a sample of word-concepts to measure the proportionate presence of these concepts in their various linguistic equivalences (in Latin languages, En
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glish and German) in cyberspace. The research, undertaken from 1996 to 2008, has enabled interesting indicators to be built in order to measure linguistic diversity. Additionally, some basic evaluations of the cultural projections associated with these languages (mentioned above) were undertaken. This paper describes the research method and its results, advantages and limitations. It also provides an overview of existing alternative methods and results, for comparison. The paper concludes with the examination of different perspectives in a field which have in the past been considered to have been characterized by a lack of scientific rigor. This has led to some misinformation about the dominant presence of English on the Web. It is a topic that is only now slowly attracting due attention from international organizations and the academic world." (Abstract, page V)
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"[...] Radio Nawal Estéreo [es] una emisora indígena que transmite en idiomas K’iche, Kat’chiquel y castellano. Está ubicada en la localidad de Nahualá que, traducido al español, significa «el espíritu de las aguas». La ciudad, con unos 70.000 habitantes, huele a leña y a resistencia y
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parece haber sido intencionalmente dibujada en medio de montañas verdes. Su población de origen maya muestra aún los rasgos propios de su cultura. Las mujeres adornan el pueblo con los colores de sus wipiles (blusas) mientras son pocos los hombres que aún lucen sus ropas tradicionales. Radio Nawal Estéreo acompaña al pueblo maya a través de mensajes que se construyen con su propia lengua, donde se comparten costumbres y esperanzas. En las páginas que siguen se encuentra, además del perfil de la emisora, la riqueza del proceso de formación radiofónica que vivió Radio Nawal Estéreo impulsado por la Asociación Latinoamericana de Educación Radiofónica (ALER). Una riqueza que te invitamos a compartir, para conocer sus pasos, descubrir sus potencialidades y aprender de su trayecto. La primera parte expone los detalles referidos a la sistematización. La segunda descubre el escenario en el cual se desenvuelve la experiencia radiofónica. Luego nos referimos a las características más importantes de Radio Nawal Estéreo. La cuarta parte expone de qué manera el Proyecto Político Comunicativo (PPC), como propuesta pedagógica y metodológica, permitió actualizar los sentidos de lo que hacen, incorporar nuevos conocimientos y capacitarse. Por último, la quinta parte expresa lo que el camino dejó como aprendizajes." (Introducción, página 9-10)
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"Anthropological research methods are characteristic of much of the investigation of remote Indigenous media production in Australia and have enabled the voices of some Indigenous audiences to be heard. However, these approaches generally have been concerned with the social organisation of productio
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n in remote communities with audiences seldom, if ever, the focus. This absence was one of the driving forces behind a qualitative study of audiences for Indigenous broadcasting in Australia on which this discussion is based. The article underlines the central place of audiences in media research and the importance of considering methodology as an integral part of the research process. It outlines the range of strategies and techniques used to gather data for the first comprehensive Australian study of audiences for Indigenous radio and television which confirmed the critical cultural role being played by these media in the face of continuing mainstream media stereotyping." (Abstract)
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"This article explains the change in radio programming in Accra, Ghana, in terms of the concepts of hybridization, hegemony, and the public sphere. It argues that private radio has transformed communication among linguistically and ethnically diverse groups of people. It discusses how local language
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use, especially Akan, on radio has assumed national significance, by examining the dynamics of the use of local language by private radio to reach a linguistically diverse audience. And it makes the claim that this approach to radio programming has improved and expanded the democratic function of the electronic voice medium." (Page 161)
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"This book is about the many ways in which mobile phones are being appropriated by Africans and how they are transforming and are being transformed by society in Africa. A case study from Karthoum (Sudan) shows, how mobile phones are reshaping relationships in a Muslim society, where they enable wom
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en to organize their lives more independently. In Cameroon, the mobile allows traditional healers to assist sick people who are originally from their area but are now far away, sometimes even in Europe or the USA. Another study from Burkina Faso highlights the growing importance of text messaging - as contrary to the overstated orality both of African societies and of the mobile phone. The nine chapters in this volume all show aspects of an emerging mobile culture, be it the linkage between the rural and the urban in Burkina Faso, the youth in Ghana or traders in Tanzania. In all of these, the authors observe a reshaping of social and economic hierarchies in society. Based on the illustrative case studies and its multi-dimensional approach this book is highly recommended reading." (CAMECO Update 3-2009)
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"The book is organised into three sections. The first addresses the link between indigenous knowledge and indigenous language, and explores the opportunities this interconnection provides for understanding and countering declines in both. The second section examines how the loss of indigenous knowle
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dge due to insensitive school programmes may be countered by integrating indigenous knowledge and languages into school curricula. The third section explores the need for the revitalisation of indigenous ways of learning, generally outside of a classroom environment, and how this may be practically viable in modern contexts." (Structure of the book, page 6-7)
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"Since the late 1970s, the Mexican state has developed an indigenous-language radio network of 24 stations. Now the state has invented a new media formula: ‘radio stations with community, indigenous participation’. In 2004, the government commission of indigenous affairs applied for (and obtaine
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d) broadcasting permits for three low-power stations. From in-depth interviews with radio practitioners and government officials, documentary analysis, and field observation, this article documents and evaluates the new model and analyses the shift in Mexico’s indigenous communication policy. Based on Stephen Riggins’ theories on ethnic-minority media, the theoretical framework considers the incompatibilities between the emergence of citizens’ media and the processes of state formation in Mexico. The authorities presented the project as a sign that the media were being transferred to the indigenous peoples. Three years after their first broadcast, the stations had little citizen participation, depended technologically and financially on the state, were ideologically conditioned by their government links, and had not become a forum of expression for the communities." (Abstract)
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"A wide range of audiences now accesses Indigenous community radio and television across Australia. This article draws from the first-ever audience study of the sector, ‘Community Media Matters’, completed in 2007. It reveals that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander media offer an essential se
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rvice to communities and play a central organising role in community life. Although previous studies into the Australian Indigenous media sector have suggested this, it is the first time that audiences from the cities to the most remote parts of the continent have had a chance to confirm the importance of locally produced media in their lives. This has revealed new insights into the nature of the relationship between audiences and the producers of Indigenous community radio and television." (Abstract)
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"The article examines the notion of development as self-determination in the context of current politicisation of indigenous peoples’ affairs. It looks at the links between development studies, indigenous social movements, and community media practices; and more specifically between specific views
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on development, self-determination, and identity, and how these terms become embodied in specific media-making (video) practices. The article summarises two case studies of indigenous media production in a transnational context: the UNESCO-funded project Information and Communications Technologies for Intercultural Dialogue: Developing Communication Capacities of Indigenous People (ICT4ID), and the emergence and consolidation of CLACPI, a network of indigenous media producers in Latin America." (Abstract)
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