"Communication the world over is a vital cog in communities. The sender and the receiver play different and complementary roles in information dissemination. Be that as it may, many contemporary information senders are faced with different forms of harassment. The advent of social media has seen a r
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ise in independent journalism and this form of journalism is not immune to harassment as such many independent journalists are harassed online. This chapter as a result unravels the emotional implications of online harassment on journalists and its repercussions for a democratic society and press freedom. Using a case of four selected Zimbabwean journalists, the chapter untangles the vocabulary used by cyber-bullies and how that affects the emotional makeup and professional outlook of different journalists. The qualitative research methodology was used as the research unfolded. The Democratic-Participant Media Theory and the Symbolic Interactionism Theory were used to analyse the operational values of independent journalists and how their audience reacts since communication is a two-way traffic. Data gathered were analysed using the thematic analysis approach. The chapter found that five major emotions are triggered by online harassment of freelance journalists on different media platforms in Zimbabwe which are surprise and or betrayal, fear, anger, happiness, and disgust. The study thus concludes that there is a need to monitor and provide counselling sessions to journalists to mitigate the negative impact of online harassment on the form, structure, and content of news articles in Zimbabwe." (Abstract)
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"Amid growing threats to journalists around the world, this study examines the nature of repression, harassment and attacks on full-time employed journalists and freelance writers in Eswatini. Given that harassment ranges from doxing, surveillance, religious prejudice, threats to harm family members
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and young children, the study will be guided by the following research questions: (1) What is the nature of abuse, repression and attacks faced by journalists? (2) What are the challenges that journalists, both male and female, face in the journalism profession in these two countries? and (3) What measures or steps, if any, are journalists taking to curb the harassment that they face? We use Eswatini as a case study due to the continued nature of harassment that journalists face when they report on corruption or when their reportage are deemed critical of those in power. For Eswatini, the last monarch in Africa has had a lasting reputation of suppressing journalists’ right to freedom of expression and of press, with impunity. The study will make use of semi-structured interviews with journalists from these two countries. Theoretically, we make use of Nerone’s typology of anti-press violence to understand the nature of harassment faced by journalists from the two countries." (Abstract)
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"This book seeks to expand some of the existing, often western and Global North facing, scholarship in the area of Disability and Media Studies to include African perspectives. Featuring predominantly Africa-based contributors, it studies an array of topics on disability and media in Africa, includi
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ng issues of social media, media ethics, including marginalised voices in the media, and disability representation in the media." (Publisher description)
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"In March 2023, a Zimbabwean government official caused a storm after threatening journalists with arrests for reporting on an Al Jazeera documentary that exposed alleged money laundering, gold smuggling and other criminal activities in the country. Journalists and media groups interpreted these utt
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erances as a violation of free expression and veiled attacks on the media. This study uses this incident of a threat to silence and discipline newsmakers as an entry point to examine the state of the safety of journalists in the Zimbabwean context. It probes the nature and form of harassment and threats against journalists ahead of the country’s national elections in 2023. Journalists across the globe are increasingly faced with safety risks as they are vulnerable to harassment in both online and offline spaces. News reporters are at risk of being arrested, detained, tortured and killed whilst carrying out their journalistic mandate. This qualitative study draws upon insights from journalists across media houses in the country to make sense of the safety issues in the context of national elections that tend to be characterised by political instability and violence. Through in-depth interviews with journalists such as those who have been physically harassed for carrying out their work, this chapter develops an understanding of the nature, trends and patterns of the harassment during the election campaign season." (Abstract)
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"Basotho value the media’s role as a watchdog on government and support media freedom, but they are divided on whether their country’s media is actually free. Majorities endorse public access to government-held information such as bids and contracts, local government council budgets, and salarie
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s of teachers and local government officials. While radio is king among news sources in Lesotho, television and social media play a vital role as well, providing news to more than four in 10 citizens on a regular basis." (Conclusion)
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"This book explores how popular cultural artifacts, literary texts, commemorative practices and other forms of remembrances are used to convey, transmit and contest memories of mass atrocities in the Global South. Some of these historical atrocities took place during the Cold war. As such, this book
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unpacks the influence or role of the global powers in conflict in the Global South. Contributors are grappling with a number of issues such as the politics of memorialization, memory conflicts, exhumations, reburials, historical dialogue, peacebuilding and social healing, memory activism, visual representation, transgenerational transmission of memories, and identity politics." (Publisher description)
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"More than a dozen experts provide deep insights in stories, research reports, and geographical studies of digital literacy and inclusion models, all from a multi-disciplinary perspective that includes engineering, social sciences, and education. Digital Literacy and Inclusion also highlights a show
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case of real-world digital literacy initiatives that have been adopted by communities of practice around the globe. Contributors explore myriad aspects and modalities of digital literacy: digital skills related to creativity, urban data literacy, digital citizenship skills, digital literacy in education, connectivity literacy, online safety skills, problem-solving and critical-thinking digital skills, data literacy skills, mobile digital literacy, algorithmic digital skills, digital health skills, etc. They share the principles and techniques behind successful initiatives and examine the dynamics and structures that enable communities to achieve digital literacy efficiently and sustainably." (Publisher description)
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"This handbook reviews extant research and offers critical summaries of key topics and issues in the field, enriched by authoritative analyses of specific cases and examples. It displays pluralism across a number of axes: epistemological, theoretical, geographical, cultural, and thematic. The first
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part offers historical routes through the international development of the field and explores the epistemological grounds of multiple strands of environmental communication studies. In aiming to map the field broadly, as well as stimulating new thinking, the second part is organized along three core perspectives: arenas, voice, and place. It comprises chapters on various public spaces that are critical to the symbolic constitution of the environment, and sheds light on a range of aspects and social agents that have received insufficient attention, including research about – and carried out in – non-Western countries." (Publisher description)
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"Featuring contributions from global scholars, that represent both new and established voices on the African continent and the diaspora, this volume explores themes of decolonization, media freedom, media censorship, identity, representation, pluralism, media framing, political economy of the media
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with emphasis on ownership, market trends and transnational media operations in Africa. Contributors explore these and other topics across a variety of media tiers, types, genres and platforms. The book also features contributions from practicing journalists and media practitioners working in Africa, providing students with hands-on knowledge from the field. Chapters in this volume take an instructional approach with contributors engaging key concepts and related theories to explore the praxis of media in Africa through specific case studies." (Publisher description)
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"In this ground-breaking two-volume set, world-leading experts produce a rich, authoritative depiction of the world's press, its freedom, and its limits. We want press freedom but we also want freedom from the press. A powerful press may expose corrupt government or aid it. It may champion citizens
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or unfairly attack them. A vulnerable press may lack supporters and succumb to conformity. It may resist, and overcome tyranny. According to common belief, press freedom involves social responsibilities to equip public debate and render government transparent. Is this attitude valid given that the press is usually a private, commercial actor? Globally, the health, authority, and viability of the press varies dramatically. These patterns do not conform to traditional divisions between North and South, East and West. Instead, they are much more complex. How do we measure successful press regulation? What concessions can the state and/or society demand of the press? What constitutes the irreducible core of press freedom? The contributions in Volume 1 look at key jurisdictions in Europe; whereas Volume 2 goes beyond Europe to analyse the situation in key jurisdictions in Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania." (Publisher description)
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"Drawing from nation-branding as a recent development in contemporary globalization, and new middle power theory that examines hierarchies of nations, we used thematic textual analysis to examine business press coverage of the IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) consortium for business news represent
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ations and the positioning of IBSA nations in the global arena. Analysis of coverage in India’s The Financial Express, Brazil’s Valor Econômico and South Africa’s Business Day revealed that regional economic leadership, strengths in trade and technology, development aid and the consortium’s collective engagement in global activism inform the business press’ positioning of the IBSA countries as new middle powers." (Abstract)
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"[...] Media Monitors conducted interviews with managers from six news outlets in six countries across Southern Africa. The study revealed that media viability challenges in the region stem from insufficient funding due to declining advertising and audience markets. The shift in audience consumption
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towards digital platforms severely impacted the financial sustainability of media houses. With advertisers following suit and staffing levels dwindling due to limited funding, media convergence and the rise of social media advertising and citizen journalism further threatened the viability of traditional outlets. However, media organizations strategically responded to these threats by diversifying revenue streams and adopting technologies like e-papers and paywalls, albeit with limited success. The human capital base of media houses also faced challenges, with high staff turnover as employees sought opportunities in the corporate world and beyond national borders, leading to gaps in the quality of media training." (Executive Summary, page 7)
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"Responding to mounting calls to decenter and decolonize journalism, The Routledge Companion to Journalism in the Global South examines not only the deep-seated challenges associated with the historical imposition of Western journalism standards on constituencies of the Global South but also the opp
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ortunities presented to journalists and journalism educators if they choose to partake in international collaboration and education.
This collection returns to fundamental questions around the meaning, value, and practices of journalism from alternative methodological, theoretical, and epistemological perspectives. These questions include: What really is journalism? Who gets to, and who is qualified to, define it? What role do ethics play? What are the current trends, challenges, and opportunities for journalism in the Global South? How is news covered, reported, written, and edited in non-Western settings? What can journalism players living and working in industrialized markets learn from their non-Western colleagues and counterparts, and vice versa? Contributors challenge accepted “universal” ethical standards while showing the relevance of customs, traditions, and cultures in defining and shaping local and regional journalism." (Publisher description)
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"This book presents a new paradigm for attending to gender-based violence (GBV) social media discourse among marginalised black women in South Africa. Focusing on the intersections of television and social media, the study charts the morphing and merging of the "inside" of the soap opera and the "ou
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tside" of the real world, amid a rise in feminist social media activism. The analysis begins with coverage of gender-based violence in a long-running South African soap opera and social media discussion of these issues, in parallel with real world events and the collective social media response. The author offers pertinent insights into audiences in sub-Saharan Africa, presenting a new feminist trajectory for women and activism in the region." (Publisher description)
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"The book brings together media scholars and practitioners to deliberate on the role and influence of radio broadcasting in South Africa over the past 100 years. The publication will add to the existing body of knowledge on radio in this context by being among one of the few to consider radio broadc
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asting in South Africa. Essentially, the book will make a distinct contribution focusing on a critique of the medium’s role in community-building and culture making among others. While the book will provide relevant theoretical frameworks, it also aims to include the voices of media practitioners who can reflect on the importance of this medium from a more realistic perspective. Volume 2 focuses on the impact of digitization on radio in South Africa, and considers the future of radio in South Africa." (Publisher description)
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"Drawing from case studies from selected African countries, an international team of authors offer a broad insight into the state of harassment across the continent, while building new theoretical perspectives that are also context-specific. The chapters bring previous theories and research up to da
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te by addressing the continual change and development of new discourses, including the use of big data and artificial intelligence in harassing and intimidating journalists and mental health issues affecting journalists in their line of duty. More so, the authors argue that the state and form of harassment is not universal, as location and context are some of the key factors that influence the form and character of harassment." (Publisher description)
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"The youth are ardent users of digital media and there is no much difference between virtual and real life for them. So, the Catholic Church has persistently invited the faithful, especially the youth who are the true natives of the digital world, to adopt online platforms for evangelization. Concer
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ns, however, arise from cyber security issues which are part of the online experiences of the users of digital technologies. The prevalence of abuses of digital technology generated a need for legislation to foster a safe environment for those who use online platforms. Malawi’s Electronic Transactions and Cybersecurity Act 2016 is one such legislation aimed at creating a free and safe online environment. Nevertheless, concerns arise regarding the influence and relevance of this Act in Malawi, with certain sections blaming its application for curtailing freedom of expression online. This study sought to investigate the influence of Malawi’s Cybersecurity Act 2016 on online evangelisation among young Catholics in Blantyre. The study had three objectives. First, to explore the motivations and experiences of young Catholics in Blantyre as they engage in online evangelisation. Secondly, to investigate the influence of Malawi’s Cybersecurity Act 2016 on online evangelisation efforts by young Catholics. Thirdly, to assess the perceptions of young Catholics regarding the relevance of Malawi’s Cybersecurity Act 2016 in fostering safe online evangelisation. The researcher employed two theories; Diffusion of Innovation and the Chilling Effects theory of social conformity to rigorously explore the purpose of the study. Participants in this study were purposively sampled and four focus group discussions (FDGs) comprising five and seven participants were chosen for the study. The findings have revealed that there is a significant presence of the youth online platforms that are adopting online evangelisation. It also discovered that there are chilling effects resulting from the political weaponisation of the cyber laws contained in the Act. Consequently, the relevance of the Act in fostering a safe environment was questioned as it is compromised. The researcher recommended further research on other demographics and using different research methods may give a more comprehensive picture of the influence of cyber law on online evangelisation." (Abstract)
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"Zimbabwe has a tainted media history under Mugabe replete with examples of state orchestrated repression, draconian legislation, harassment of journalists and violation of their work premises. The post-November 2017 coup period is a critical reference point to understand the political economy of al
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ternative media under the so-called ‘New Dispensation’ of President Mnangagwa with its promises of prodemocracy reforms. Using political economy as a theoretical approach that analyses media systems in a holistic manner by linking them to politics, economy, legislation and technology, this study assesses the extent to which the ‘New Dispensation’ has implemented political economy reforms that impact alternative media. Drawing from interviews with selected alternative media journalists and proprietors, the findings reveal that alternative media in Zimbabwe remain entrenched in repression and are in a crisis caused by an exacerbation of the same structural factors that existed before. The ‘New Dispensation’ has instead led to the entrenchment of a new dictatorship by the military junta. Undue political interference, a fragile economy and state orchestrated repression continue to constrain the democratic functions of alternative media. By teasing the continuities and discontinuities of alternative media repression during the Mugabe era and under the ‘New Dispensation’, the paper contributes to ongoing debates about the consequence of the 2017 coup and the need for genuine democratic reforms in Zimbabwe post-Mugabe epoch." (Abstract)
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