"The history of Uganda from the days of Colonial Rule, when modern mass media was introduced was revisited. The thesis of this study was that the substance of the political governance model inherited from Uganda’s colonial past continues in the postindependence period to define the relationship be
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tween the media and government on the one hand, and within media industry itself. This governance model was grounded in power monopoly, power domination, and power preservation, with the ensuing characteristics of exclusiveness, privilege and intolerance of opposition, difference and diversity. State power was not informed by the discourse of good governance nor did it cater for a democratic environment. Legislative, administrative and strong-arm measures were all strategies of power and control that the colonial government deployed to manage a media deemed non-compliant, and thereby maintain and protect the supremacy of its rule. By the same token, the anti-media freedom measures were also an implicit recognition of the power of the press, understood as a subversive threat." (Conclusion, page 90-91)
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"This is the first monograph on the history of film culture ever for lusophone Africa. It consists of three parts: the colonial period (1896-1974), the first years of independence (1975-1991) and the years of the liberalization of the media (1992-2010). In these three periods attention is given to t
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he exhibition of films (and the African or local audience) and to the production of films in the country by Mozambicans or non-Mozambicans. The book takes an African perspective on film culture and the political evolutions in the country." (commbox)
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"This wide range of contemporary mass media research illustrates how Central Asia press outlets remain tightly controlled and manipulated, first under the czars, then under the Soviets, and now under authoritarian regimes. Over the past two decades, the press systems have not achieved even minimal d
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emocratization and independence by international standards. Perhaps the Internet and other technologies will have a better chance of circumventing censors and the economic obstacles that deny the great mass of Central Asians the ability to participate in a useful dialog leading to more transparent and participatory governance. Several overarching observations emerge from this synthesized examination of recent research. The five separate press systems that replaced the single Soviet system share many commonalities, although significant differences also exist. These studies indicate varying but not decisive degrees of external influences from multi-governmental entities, media-building foundations, and promoters of civil society; such influences on Central Asian media development originate with mostly Western-based journalism and mass media trainers. Another observation concerns regimes’ use and abuse of laws to control information about public affairs and public issues. That pattern evident from several studies reflects a disconnect between constitutional and statutory guarantees of press freedom on one side and actual threats to those guarantees on the other side due to libel and “honor and dignity” suits, criminal prosecutions, and tightening regulation of the Internet. Examined collectively, these studies suggest the following obstacles to democratic and independent media development in Central Asia: strict governmental and extra-governmental restraints on the press, regardless of the type of medium—print, broadcast, or Internet; inadequate professional training, leadership, resources, financial incentives, and ethical standards for journalists and prospective journalists; limitations on the ability of domestic and international press and human rights defenders to compel changes in policies and laws; insufficient market resources to create and sustain independent news organizations; and a resulting lack of credibility and public trust in the press." (Summary and conclusions, page 142)
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"Much of the scholarly literature regarding theories of journalism practice is premised on the tenets of the western model of liberal democracy. To the extent that this model is held to be universal, it hinders the analytical theorization of journalistic precepts that have evolved locally in most co
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untries of the developing world. This article seeks to address this problem by exploring the evolution of what may be aptly characterized as the African journalism model. This model is grounded in oral discourse, creativity, humanity and agency. By comparing and contrasting these two models, this article seeks to challenge the assumption that African journalism is one of mere 'bandwagonism' informed by western 'modernity' and 'civilization'. In particular, by exploring the origin and transformation of journalism in sub-Saharan Africa before, during and after colonialism, this article contributes to the conceptual elaboration of alternative conceptions of the African model of journalism." (Abstract)
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"In this groundbreaking work, Brian Larkin provides a history and ethnography of media in Nigeria, asking what media theory looks like when Nigeria rather than a European nation or the United States is taken as the starting point. Concentrating on the Muslim city of Kano in the north of Nigeria, Lar
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kin charts how the material qualities of technologies and the cultural ambitions they represent feed into the everyday experiences of urban Nigeria. Media technologies were introduced to Nigeria by colonial regimes as part of an attempt to shape political subjects and create modern, urban Africans. Larkin considers the introduction of media along with electric plants and railroads as part of the wider infrastructural project of colonial and postcolonial urbanism. Focusing on radio networks, mobile cinema units, and the building of cinema theaters, he argues that what media come to be in Kano is the outcome of technology's encounter with the social formations of northern Nigeria and with norms shaped by colonialism, postcolonial nationalism, and Islam. Larkin examines how media technologies produce the modes of leisure and cultural forms of urban Africa by analyzing the circulation of Hindi films to Muslim Nigeria, the leisure practices of Hausa cinemagoers in Kano, and the dynamic emergence of Nigerian video films. His analysis highlights the diverse, unexpected media forms and practices that thrive in urban Africa." (Publisher description)
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"In vielen Ländern der Welt haben die Printmedien seit dem Siegeszug der audiovisuellen, elektronischen Medien, allen voran des Fernsehens, einen schweren Stand. Die Anzeigenmärkte sind so stark umkämpft wie nie zuvor und die Aufmerksamkeit des Publikums gilt als rar werdendes Gut. Anders verhäl
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t es sich dagegen in Indien, wo zeitgleich zur beginnenden Ausbreitung des Fernsehens Anfang der 1980er Jahre ein Presseboom einsetzte, den Robin Jeffrey als „Zeitungsrevolution“ bezeichnet hat. Damit bezieht er sich in erster Linie auf den beispiellosen Boom der indischsprachigen Presse, denn obwohl die englischsprachige Presse ebenfalls von dieser Entwicklung profitiert - und Indien inzwischen der weltweit größte Markt für englischsprachige Printmedien ist -, ist sie längst von der Hindi-Presse überholt worden. Nadja-Christina Schneider beschreibt die wichtigsten Phasen in der Entwicklung der indischen Presse von ihren Anfängen im 19. Jh. bis zur Unabhängigkeit 1947 und beschreibt darauf aufbauend die signifikanten Veränderungen, die der indische Pressesektor insbesondere in den vergangenen drei Jahrzehnten erfahren hat. Hierfür werden die indische Presse bzw. die dahinter stehenden Unternehmen im Hinblick auf ihre enge Kooperation mit anderen Medien wie dem Fernsehen, Radio und Internet untersucht. Abschließend erfolgt eine Einschätzung ihrer gegenwärtigen Rolle und Bedeutung für das indische Mediensystem." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"Bourgault investigates three principal influences: the pre-colonial legacy of the oral tradition, the presence of an alienated managerial class, and the domination of African nations by systems based on political patronage. The first two chapters provide the theoretical framework. Subsequent chapte
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rs look at the management of the electronic media, radio and television broadcasting in content and practice, the history of print media, and the discourse style found in the press. This work provides a wealth of historical information on media systems, particularly those of the former anglophone and francophone countries, together with recent developments in satellite communication, small-systems technology, and the current move toward decentralization and privatization. Bourgault also considers the political shifts affecting Africa in the 1990s and offers a radical blueprint for more responsive and informative media in the sub-Saharan area." (Publisher description)
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"As political freedom came to the Continent, so did press freedom disappear," is Barton's opening sentence. Although his attitude is definitely colonial, this statement is not as prejudiced as it first appears, for he attempts to put it in a historical perspective by making the case that this trend
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in Africa has happened in many non-African countries which today claim some sort of press freedom. Against this background he surveys in breadth rather than depth first the white colonial press and then the emergent black press in French-speaking Africa, East and Central Africa, Portuguese Africa, "the White South," Swaziland, and "unconquered Africa" - Liberia and Ethiopia. He omits Arab Africa because he feels the cultural differences to be too great." (Eleanor Blum, Frances G. Wilhoit: Mass media bibliography. 3rd ed. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1990 Nr. 27)
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"R. Ainslie's book is the first general survey of the press in the continent of Africa. The author gives a historical account of the subject, starting with West and South Africa. Next she studies the situation of the press in Zambia, East Africa, the Congo and throughout Black Africa in general. The
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author deals only briefly with the problems of information in North Africa. Several chapters analyse in detail the development of the specialised media such as TV, radio and the telegraphic information agencies." (Jean-Marie Van Bol, Abdelfattah Fakhfakh: The use of mass media in the developing countries. Brussels: CIDESA, 1971 Nr. 55, topic code 110.0)
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"Télécommunications dans les anciennes possessions coloniales françaises — Abidjan, Brazzaville et Libreville possèdent une station émettrice — Plusieurs projets sont l'étude pour de nombreux autres Etats notamment le Sénégal et le Cameroun." (Jean-Marie Van Bol, Abdelfattah Fakhfakh: Th
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e use of mass media in the developing countries. Brussels: CIDESA, 1971 Nr. 439, topic code 422)
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"Die englischen und französischen Verlagshäuser haben das Fehlen einer modernen afrikanischen Presse ausgenutzt, um ihren Einfluss in Zentral- und Ostafrika und in Marokko trotz der Proteste der Journalistengewerkschaften zu vergrößern. Tunesien und Algerien haben die neokolonialistische Presse
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„liquidiert“ und die nationale Presse durch Reformen unterstützt." (Jean-Marie Van Bol, Abdelfattah Fakhfakh: The use of mass media in the developing countries. Brussels: CIDESA, 1971 Nr. 1134, topic code 121)
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