"Ghana’s youth is embracing digital. According to the representative survey conducted for DW Akademie’s MIL INDEX study, three quarters of 15-25-year-olds own a smartphone. Over 70 % report going online with a mobile phone as well as using Facebook and WhatsApp on a weekly basis. Use of several
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different social networks and messengers is widespread and frequent. More data intensive networks like Snapchat (34.7%), YouTube (29%) and Instagram (26%) are used by a fairly large proportion of survey respondents every week. “We virtually live our lives on the Internet,” as one girl put it during a focus group conducted in Accra. “[I]f it’s about politics, if it’s about entertainment, if it’s about education, you can find enough information on the Internet using your smartphone.
The country report presented here is based on the findings of the MIL INDEX study, for which a representative survey, eight focus groups and seven expert interviews were conducted in Ghana between November 2018 and April 2019. The study focused on five Media and Information Literacy (MIL) skill sets: access, analysis, reflection, creation, and action. For each of these dimensions, survey respondents received a score ranging between 0 (= no skills whatsoever) and 20 (= highest level of skills) points, adding up to a maximum of 100 points. The scoring system measures how often certain skills are actually put into practice (access, creation, action) or tests the skills directly (analysis, reflection). Since citizens cannot permanently use media and information sources, unless they are journalists or media workers, a perfect score of 100 for any country appears unrealistic—it is more about the relative performance across time and in comparison to other countries, as well as being a tool for identifying deficits to be addressed in media development.
The 15-25-year-old Ghanaians on average displayed good skills in terms of action (13.9) and analysis (13.1), and intermediate skills when it came to creation (11.4). Deficits were mainly found in terms of reflection (10.2) and access (10.8). The total score amounted to 59.5 out of a possible 100." (Executive summary)
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"Afrobarometer findings show that radio and television are the most widely accessible platforms for students seeking to participate in MoE/GES e-learning programs, although rural and poor households are at a disadvantage when it comes to owning these devices. The data show relatively low rates of ac
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cess to the Internet via mobile phone, ownership of computers, and regular use of the Internet, particularly among respondents in rural and poor households, highlighting the difficulties that many students will face in engaging with online learning programs. While most households are connected to the electric grid, more than four in 10 rural and poor households do not have a power supply that works most or all of the time. For both government and civil society, these findings indicate potential learning gaps, as not all students will be able to access e-learning programs from all platforms. This points to the need for strategies to increase students’ participation, particularly targeting rural and poor families, by raising awareness of available televised programs and launching radio-based remote-learning programs as soon as possible. To ensure inclusion and participation in online platforms such as icampus, the government and schools should initiate longer-term plans and investments capable of spreading e-learning infrastructure, irrespective of settlement types and poverty levels, to facilitate access for all students." (Conclusion)
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"Defends the position that, despite the supposed "lessons" that have been learned about the spread of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) after the 2013-2016 West African Ebola outbreak, there remains a need to "decolonize" the rhetorics of Ebola prevention and containment. The author asserts that the failure
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of governments, aid organizations, and global media to confront the structural and material legacies of colonialism in West Africa will prevent global communities from adequately dealing with sporadic Ebola outbreaks. Central to the book's argument is that far too many communities in the "global North" are unwilling to spend the hundreds of billions of dollars that are needed for the prevention of endemic and epidemic diseases in the "global South." Instead of coping with the impoverished legacies of colonialism, organizations like the World Health Organization support the use of small groups of "Ebola hunters" who swoop down during crises and put out EVD outbreaks using emergency health techniques. The author demonstrates how Western-oriented ways of dealing with EVD have made it difficult to convince West African populations-wary of emergency interventions after a long history of colonial medical experimentation in Africa--that those in the West truly care about the prevention of the next Ebola outbreak. Decolonizing Ebola Rhetorics ultimately argues that as long as global journalists and elite public health officials continue to blame bats, bushmeat, or indigenous burial practices for the spread of Ebola, the necessary decolonization of Ebola rhetorics will be forestalled. The author concludes the book by offering critiques of the real lessons that are learned by those who try to securitize or military Ebola containment efforts." (Back cover)
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"Weltweit nutzen 3,3 Milliarden Menschen ein Smartphone, Tendenz weiter steigend. In nahezu allen Ländern des Südens ist die Verbreitung besonders groß. Nicht immer handelt es sich dabei um teure Topmodelle, aber gerade wegen ihrer Erschwinglichkeit sind allein in afrikanischen Ländern 700 Milli
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onen internetfähige Smartphones und nicht-internetfähige Mobile Phones im Gebrauch. Selbst in Ländern wie Somalia, wo Infrastrukturen gleich welcher Art kaum existent sind, funktioniert eines recht zuverlässig: das Mobilfunknetz. In einer High-Tech-Fabrik in Ruanda laufen seit neuestem täglich zehntausend »MaraPhones« genannte Smartphones vom Band.
Die durch Smartphones und Mobile Phones entstehenden Möglichkeiten werden überall auf der Welt ausgiebig genutzt. Tiefgreifende gesellschaftliche und wirtschaftliche Veränderungen sind die Folge. Familiäre Beziehungen werden neu gestaltet und klassische Modelle sozialer Interaktion wie »Freundschaft« neu definiert. Praktisch jeder Wirtschaftssektor ist gründlich von den Handys auf den Kopf gestellt worden. Auch in der kleinbäuerlichen Landwirtschaft in Ostafrika gehören Smartphones längst zum Alltag. Ohne dem Kulturpessimismus zu frönen: Es liegt auf der Hand, dass all diese Entwicklungen nicht nur Chancen, sondern auch große Gefahren bergen. Mit keiner anderen systemrelevanten Technologie lassen sich Manipulation und Überwachung von Individuen besser bewerkstelligen als via Smartphone. Die mit erpresserischen Methoden exekutierte Datensammelwut der großen Konzerne hat durchaus eine Entsprechung in der Überwachung durch autoritäre Regime. Dagegen klingen frühere Dystopien à la »Big Brother is watching you« harmlos.
Im Bereich des Politischen wird besonders deutlich, wie groß die partizipatorischen Potenziale einer Demokratie von unten via Social Media sind, aber auch, wie schnell diese in Regression, Manipulation und Repression münden. Der Arabische Frühling galt zu Recht als »Facebook-Revolution«, das hierarchische Sender-Empfänger-Prinzip war partiell aufgehoben. Was aber vor staatlicher Verfolgung nicht nur nicht schützte, sondern sie oft überhaupt erst ermöglichte. Perfektioniert wird politische Kontrolle via Smartphone einmal mehr von der KP der Volksrepublik China. Sie hält ihre 90 Millionen Parteimitglieder via App auf Kurs – und wehe, jemand liest zu wenig Beiträge und sammelt nicht genügend »Lernpunkte«! Beim Smartphone ist es eben wie beim Beton: Es kommt drauf an, was man draus macht." (Editorial, Seite D2)
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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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"The guide below serves as a Glossary of Definitions of the basic principles of ethics to be monitored. It is designed to assist and guide the Monitor in understanding properly and identifying accurately, any violations of particular Ethical principles by the media. The list here is not exhaustive.
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It does not include all the possible Ethical principles applicable to the profession. This is because many of the principles are not easily or immediately verifiable from the output of the media. These include those principles that apply to the processes and methods of production of media content which can only be tracked and dealt with in the newsrooms, in the field and during the process of production. In other words, the list does not cover monitoring of the behavior or conduct of media professionals as they go about their work of gathering and processing news, information and other materials for publication or broadcast – activities which are generally outside the purview of the public. This exercise, therefore, is limited to monitoring the content of media as published/broadcast to the public." (Page 2)
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"This paper explores cultural inclusivity in online learning design by discussing two international capacity development projects: an online tutor mentor development programme in Sri Lanka and a hybrid physician assistant training programme in Ghana. Inclusivity involves establishing partnerships an
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d conducting needs assessments to maximise the capacity that already exists within a given context, and addressing cultural factors that impact online learning — developing a learning community, negotiating identity, power, and authority, generating social presence, supporting collaboration, engaging in authentic inquiry-based learning, navigating interactions in a second language, and developing co-mentoring relationships to support learning. The paper provides a framework, WisCom (Wisdom Communities) to guide the design of culturally inclusive online learning incorporating lessons learned from international projects. By emphasizing divergent thinking, consensus building, and the exploration of multiple solutions to complex, real-world problems, WisCom maximises opportunities for participants’ diverse backgrounds and experiences to be valued." (Abstract)
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"Burkina Faso is dramatically confronted with the consequences of violence, persistent food insecurity and malnutrition. Five of the thirteen regions of the country are particularly affected, and the humanitarian situation has been steadily deteriorating since 2017 with a peak observed in the second
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half of 2019. In total, 2.2 million people face crucial unmet needs created by the deterioration of their living conditions; among them more than 918,000 people are in need of services linked to their survival. Efforts are underway to scale up the response to cope with these escalating needs. In late October 2019, the Humanitarian Country Team was activated in Burkina Faso, replacing the Humanitarian-Development Country Team, to enable dedicated leadership in coordination and information management. And between December 2019 and January 2020, the CDAC Network – in partnership with Ground Truth Solutions and with funding from the H2H Network and with the assistance of UN agencies and CDAC members operating in the country – undertook a scoping mission to the country to assess the status, current strengths and needs related to response-wide Communication, Community Engagement and Accountability." (CDAC website)
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"Generally, the relevant authorities in Nigeria have, to a large extent, been proactive with press briefings and national addresses since the outbreak of the pandemic. However, reporters have realised that they are often unable to access information beyond what is said in the briefings. Officials so
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metimes delay in responding to, or are totally unresponsive to information requests. This situation affects the media’s ability to do critical and fact-checked reporting to provide information beyond what is presented at the press briefings. Other issues that affect the media’s access to information on COVID-19 included the lockdown restrictions announced to contain the spread of the virus; self-censorship by some journalists; the lack of appropriate PPEs for coverage of isolation centres or infected areas; and press violations. The economic impact of the pandemic on media houses threatens the future of the industry, which has been and will be crucial to continuing to educate and inform the public on this pandemic and hold authorities accountable over their role in halting the spread and other issues. Below is a summary of the key challenges the media in Nigeria have faced in reporting the COVID-19 pandemic: 1) Delayed information or lack of access to an official for interviews 2) Attacks on the media, including destruction of eqipment and other properties 3) Lack of PPEs to report safely 4) Job losses and salary cuts." (Conclusion, page 7-8)
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"This collection charts the emergence of modern science communication across the world. This is the first volume to map investment around the globe in science centres, university courses and research, publications and conferences as well as tell the national stories of science communication. How did
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it all begin? How has development varied from one country to another? What motivated governments, institutions and people to see science communication as an answer to questions of the social place of science? Communicating Science describes the pathways followed by 39 different countries. All continents and many cultures are represented. For some countries, this is the first time that their science communication story has been told." (Publisher description)
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"This report was commissioned by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to examine women’s representation in COVID-19/coronavirus newsgathering and news coverage in India, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, the UK, and the US. It is rooted in a computational news content analysis of 11,913 publications an
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d 1.9 million stories between 1st March and 15th April 2020 undertaken by Media Ecosystems Analysis Group; an in-depth qualitative portrayal analysis of 175 highly ranked COVID-19/coronavirus stories across the six countries; quantitative analysis of eight public-facing bespoke Google surveys, as well as multi-country secondary surveys; a pronoun content analysis of COVID-19 headlines; story frames analyses using Google’s news search engine, the Internet TV News Archive in 2020 and the GDELT Project global online news archive for 2017 to 2020; and interrogation of a number of global statistical databases [...] The report has examined the news coverage of the COVID-19/coronavirus story through the lenses of three indicators of gender equality: women as sources of news expertise; news stories leading with women protagonists; and coverage of gender equality issues. The insights from the report have led to the creation of 21 recommendations which aim to support news providers who wish to amplify the substantially muted voices of women in news coverage of the COVID19/coronavirus story. The report has uncovered a substantial bias towards men’s perspectives in the newsgathering and news coverage of this pandemic across both the global north (the UK and US) and the global south (India, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa). This bias operates against a backdrop of women’s effective political invisibility within the COVID-19-related decision-making process in the countries analyzed and the unique socioeconomic, health and psychological challenges that women face globally. Every individual woman’s voice in the news on COVID19 is drowned out by the voices of at least three, four, or five men. The women who are given a platform in the COVID-19/coronavirus story are rarely portrayed as authoritative experts or as empowered individuals but more frequently as sources of personal opinion or as victims/people affected by the disease." (Executive summary)
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"L’utilisation de la mesure d’audience par les médias est faible en Côte d’Ivoire. Selon une étude du Ministère de la Communication, de l’Économie Numérique et de la Poste (2017), la plupart des médias ivoiriens naviguent à vue sans une véritable connaissance et maîtrise du marché
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par des études d’audience et d’habitude de consommation des cibles. Dans le cas de la presse écrite, les maisons d’édition permettent d’établir l’audience en précisant même le lieu. Pour la presse numérique, les compteurs présents sur les pages web le permettent également. Par contre, avec une transmission par la voie des ondes, il est difficile de savoir qui regarde quoi et à quel moment. L’un des moyens permettant aux diffuseurs d’avoir un retour sur leurs émissions est le sondage. En effet, l'audience a acquis, au fil des années, une importance capitale. Plus un écran est regardé, plus un annonceur est intéressé. De plus, le déploiement de la télévision numérique te restre (TNT) est en cours sur le territoire ivoirien, évolution qui renforce la nécessité d’une mesure d’audience fiable et régulière afin de permettre une éclosion adaptée des chaînes et programmes répondant aux attentes de la population. Bien que tous les indicateurs de mesure d’audience ne soient pas investigués par les enquêtes d’Afrobarometer, les résultats ici présentés révèlent que la télévision et la radio ont les scores les plus élevés d’audience. Cependant l’on observe que les audiences de l’Internet et des médias sociaux tels que Facebook et Twitter connaissent une forte progression. La radio se présente comme le seul média à s’imposer aussi bien en milieu rural qu’urbain et avec la plus faible différence selon le niveau de pauvreté." (Résumé)
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"[...] the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and other media actors, in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service, in 2018 began a process to improve relations between the media and the police. As a first step a forum was organised in July 2018 to discuss the safety of journalists and police
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-media relations in Ghana. The forum offered a space for dialogue between the media and the police to foster mutual understanding of their respective roles. It also built the capacity of police officers and journalists on safety of journalists’ standards and effective media handling by the police. Some guidelines for protection of the safety of journalists were also established. To further strengthen and guide police-media relations for improved safety of journalists, it was agreed at the forum that a “Framework on Police-Media Relations and Safety of Journalists in Ghana” should be developed to spell out modalities for greater cooperation between the two bodies, end impunity for crimes against journalists and ultimately promote the safety of journalists. To this end, a Committee, comprising individuals from the Ghana Police Service, Media Foundation for West Africa, National Media Commission, Ghana Journalists Association, Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association, Ghana Community Radio Network, Editors Forum Ghana, Private Newspapers Publishers of Ghana, and Ghana Institute of Journalism, worked with a Consultant to develop this Framework on Police-Media Relations and Safety of Journalists in Ghana. The Inspector-General of Police and members of the Police Management Board endorsed the Framework at its meeting on 22nd May, 2019. The Framework was subsequently launched by an official of the Ministry of Interior. It is aimed that this Framework will ultimately enhance police-media relations, promote and protect the safety of journalists and reduce impunity for crimes against journalists in Ghana." (https://www.mfwa.org)
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"This Smart Village Blueprint, piloted in Niger, has been conceived as a practical tool for establishing smart villages. It contributes to the implementation of the Niger 2.0 Smart Villages project, which aims at providing broadband infrastructure to improve Internet access in rural and remote parts
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of the country. The Smart Villages project comprises a locally led, integrated, and holistic approach to providing access to digital services to all citizens of rural communities, with the integration of digital technologies serving as a crucial enabler of equitable, qualitative and efficient delivery of SDG-related services for all. This Blueprint is based on the lessons learnt from experiences setting up, managing, and sustaining similar projects in different parts of the world, including the Niger Smart Villages project. These lessons highlight the importance of dynamic local leadership, the continuous development of local capacity to manage and lead sustainable development programmes, and the need to work collaboratively with multiple stakeholders and adopt a whole-of-government approach, moving away from older, territorial, siloed development models. The aim of this Blueprint is to make smart villages one of the mechanisms through which multiple SDGs can be achieved simultaneously in remote and underserved areas." (Foreword)
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"This thesis describes the search for and the design of a field-based approach to ICT4D. Ten years of field and action research in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Ghana have led to a practical approach that guides design and development of information systems. It fosters knowledge exchange between people fr
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om different (global, local, indigenous, academic, non-academic) knowledge domains. It brings users, local stakeholders, developers, researchers together to solve complex problems, according to the users' own objectives. Field experience shows that digital development can be a meaningful, collaborative, networked process of knowledge sharing, driven by local initiatives, realizing change for the better in a complex world." (Back cover)
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"The dominant transparency narrative in policymaking attributes a key role to the public: once citizens gain information, they are predicted to use it to demand better resource governance. Whether the public receives the available information in the first place, however, has not been scrutinised in
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a large-N analysis. This article examines Ghanaians’ information sources and information-seeking behaviour using a unique survey with over 3500 respondents. Although Ghana has actively pursued transparency in its natural resource revenue management, most Ghanaians have poor access to understandable information as information is disseminated through channels that the intended receivers normally do not use. Non-elite citizens and those with limited English skills were least likely to have heard about natural resource revenue management, compared with elected duty bearers, traditional authorities, other opinion leaders, and those with an interest in the issue through working in mining or living near an extraction site. The results suggest that the conceptualisation of transparency may be too simplistic, and that the expectations linked to transparency in enhancing natural resource governance may not materialise through the mechanisms hypothesised in the literature." (Abstract)
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