"Although it is a community broadcasting station with a small radius, Koch FM conceptualises itself as part of a national and global civil society network and acts as such. Specifcally, it sees its role as promoting democracy and Good Governance. The station has consequently decided to stay away fro
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m government funding. However, despite an assumed freedom from government and commercial infuence, the station is subject to implicit infuence by its donor(s) as far as setting the agenda is concerned. In the case of Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), while climate change issues are not negative, this relationship of “gentle pressure” to move in one direction and not the other illustrates the infuence that comes with financing from sources outside the community, even when legally speaking, community representatives own the station. For a community station, reliance on a single donor comes with the challenge of dependence on them. This dependence could be reduced if stations explored more diverse funding models including community contributions or subscriptions, and through capping the percentage of total funding that a single external donor can provide. Although Kenyan legislation does not address the issue of ownership of community broadcasters, station ownership and control by communities may be gauged by their formal and informal participation in the life of the station. Much as a grassroots community like that around Koch FM does not contribute substantial fnances to the station, it expresses a sense of ownership and control through informal interactions with the station. It wields infuence through contributing to the station’s content and content management agenda and sometimes, resisting pressure from the station staf to participate in particular ways and not others. Thus, ownership and control are not dependent solely on who has the fnancial clout. Rather, they are the subject of constant negotiation, both formally and informally." (Conclusion)
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"Who owns the media and communications in Africa today and with what implications? The book elegantly answers this urgent question by unpacking multiple dimensions of media ownership through rare and authoritative perspectives, including both historical and contemporary digital developments. It trac
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es the evolving forms of ownership of media and communications in specific African contexts, showing how they interact with broader changes in and outside the continent. The book also shows how Big Techs, such as Meta (formerly known as Facebook), are involved in a scramble for Africa’s digital ecosystem and how their advance brings both opportunities and concerns about ownership and control. The chapters analyse evolving forms of ownership and their implications on media concentration and democracy across Africa. The book offers a nuanced account of how media ownership structures are in some instances captured with an ever-growing and complex ecosystem that also has new opportunities for public interest media. Offering a significant representation of the trends and diversity of existing media systems, the book goes beyond the postcolonial geographical divisions of North and Sub-Saharan Africa to highlight common patterns and significant similarities and differences of communications ownerships between and within African countries. The contributors expose media and communications ownership patterns in Africa that are centralised and yet decentralising and in some cases, battling, resurging and globalising." (Publisher description)
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"The fact that about half of the news-producing media organizations categorise themselves as having insufficient newsroom resources as far as equipment, technology and training are concerned suggests that there is still need to look into equipping newsrooms technologically and continuing efforts to
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upskill journalists in the region. As regards positive journalistic practices in content production, such as fact-checking and adhering to ethics, there is generally confidence that the right systems and procedures are in place. Sufficient and regular pay for newsroom staff is however lower ranked. Considering that journalism is a talent good and the best talents are retained by, among other factors, sufficient remuneration, this is an issue worth keeping an eye on, if media houses in the region want to retain high quality staff who will produce high quality content in the long run. On finances, the fact that government funding was a stabilizing factor during the COVID-19 pandemic argues for creating structures that would enable media houses to access government support in times of need – such as a permanent fund – but only so long as it does not come at the price of editorial independence." (Conclusion, page 64)
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"Kenyan community radio works between international and national media paradigms, while seeking to meet the expectations of its local communities. International funding and training organizations active in the sector focus on enhancing technology for development, freedom of expression, democracy and
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governance. At the national level, community stations are expected to act as development-oriented media. While development is a value embraced by most stations, freedom of expression is embraced more cautiously, given the political contexts in which they exist. Drawing on fieldwork conducted between 2014 and 2016, this article explores the operational choices that community broadcasters make in view of their funding and training partnerships, all the while negotiating their local, social and political contexts in order to survive. It focuses on Mugambo Jwetu FM, a community radio station in Kenya, as a case study." (Abstract)
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"Offering a collection of invited contributions from scholars across the world, the volume is structured in seven parts, each exploring a particular aspect of local media and journalism that provide the framework to bring together and consolidate the latest research and theorisations from the field,
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and fresh understandings of local media from a comparative perspective and within a global context. Addressing the significant changes local media and journalism has undergone in the last decade, the companion explores the history, politics, ethics and contents of local media, as well as delving deeper into the business and practices that affect not only the journalists and media-makers involved, but consumers as well. For students and researchers in the fields of journalism studies, journalism education, cultural studies and media and communications programmes, this is the comprehensive guide to local media and journalism." (Publisher description)
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"Koch FM is a community radio station located in Korogocho, a slum in Nairobi, Kenya. The station aims to provide alternative information, education and entertainment content. Producers at the station and community members who make up the station’s audience have different perceptions of Koch FM’
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s role. While the producers envision Koch FM as the provider of information and a space for community voice, the community evaluates the station’s performance based on parameters drawn from commercial broadcasters. Consequently, the station acts as a space where sometimes-contradictory ideals play out. In exploring these contrasting viewpoints, this article highlights contextual production practices and the shifting audience expectations facing community radio in Kenya’s vibrant radio broadcast environment. The data are the outcome of ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 2014 and 2015." (Abstract)
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"Community broadcasting is known as the third tier of broadcasting, occupying the space between commercial and state broadcasters. In Kenya, this sector has been active only since 2004. Despite its recognised value in other contexts across the globe, community broadcasting is still struggling to fin
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d footing in the Kenyan media landscape, and there is a paucity of research on how this sector actually operates – its structures, content and audiences. This work therefore explores the roles and relevance of community radio in the vibrant Kenyan media landscape. Using a complementary mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, three community radio stations with different social contexts, funding and management structures were investigated. The research focused on the ideas and actors behind community radio, its funding and management structures, content, content production processes, listenership patterns and participation practices. Brought to light was that this sector navigates legislation and funding challenges, and juggles between global and local ideals about community broadcasting, most distinct of which are democracy and development. The local, the national and the global inform the ideas under which Kenyan community broadcasting operates, and these ideas are interpreted differently in each context. Communities interact with each of the stations based on their particular local contexts. Not only do they listen to community broadcasters according to specific daily rhythms, but they also mobilise themselves into social formations – most often fan groups and clubs – as a way of collective participation in the life of the station. Contrary to much radio audience research, this work shows that listenership is a distinct activity and participation in and through the media is not only an individual endeavour, but a collective undertaking drawing on pre-existent social solidarities. Community radio content addresses its listeners as different kinds of communities and publics at specific times of the day, and they respond accordingly. As well, there is content transformation across diverse media platforms, which may be a step towards new genres. Despite working within different and hybrid journalistic cultures, the producers play similar roles to their communities across the three contexts including mediation, mobilisation, space-creation, information and entertainment. Of these roles, mobilisation is a strength of community radio. The research reveals the intertwined nature of state, media and audience relationships, and argues for the fact that there are no homogenous audiences even at a micro-level, and that the affective and democratic functions of media participation are intricately linked to each other." (Abstract)
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"Kenya’s 2010 Constitution guarantees press freedom in a way the country has never previously seen. However, the concentration of media ownership and pending consensus on new media legislation are tarnishing the triumphs of Kenya’s media liberalization and development. Regulation of news content
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, including hate speech and political bias, as well as journalistic standards are also issues provoking discussion and sullying the image of Kenya as a role model for other East African countries. On May 21, 2014, international scholars gathered in Bonn to discuss their research under the heading “Kenya’s Media Landscape: A Success Story with Serious Structural Challenges”. This publication provides a supplement to the presentations and discussions held at the fifth annual DW Media Dialogue." (Publisher description)
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