"This second volume focuses on primary trauma experienced by journalists, with a particular focus on the gendered dimensions, as shared by female journalists and researchers. By focusing on female journalists’ firsthand encounters, the book explores the complex psychological, emotional, and profes
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sional challenges they face both inside and outside the newsroom. The chapters deal with specific issues relating to sexual harassment, online threats, risks and vulnerabilities, and physical and psychological violence experienced by journalists in various sub-Saharan African countries. In addition, the book explores the coping mechanisms employed by journalists in the field; thereby contributing to ongoing discussion on how to support media professionals navigating challenging newsrooms and journalistic roles in Africa and beyond. Chikezie E. Uzuegbunam is Deputy Head of School for Teaching and Research, senior lecturer in Media Studies, and Master’s programme coordinator in the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University, South Africa. His latest book is Children and Young People’s Digital Lifeworlds: Domestication, Mediation, and Agency published in 2024 by Palgrave Macmillan under the book series of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR). Kealeboga Aiseng is a senior lecturer in the Department of Media Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. His books include Sociolinguistics of South African Television: Language Ideologies in Selected Case Studies, Political Economy of African Popular Culture: Political Interplay (co-edited), Public Health Communication Challenges to Minority and Indigenous Communities (co-edited), and Social Media and Gender in Africa: Discourses and Politics of Everyday Life (co-edited)." (Publisher description)
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"This book offers an in-depth view of how intricate and intractable conflicts can be and how the communicative aspects of conflict are equally challenging. The author reviews and guides readers through classic and contemporary analysis in the field, providing a truly interdisciplinary work. Handbook
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of Conflict and Peace Communication is divided into five navigable sections - Theory Development, Method Development, Traditional/Digital Media and Peace and Conflict, Case Studies, and Innovative Approaches - that help illuminate workable and innovative peace communication strategies relevant to today's conflicts. Readers will also find: informative contributions from a collection of outstanding scholars, practitioners, and activists; comprehensive explorations of past conflict communication theory in the context of contemporary theory; practical tools to navigate complex local and global conflicts; in-depth examinations of strategies of peace communication from the margins that acknowledge and elevate solutions for and from the most vulnerable." (Publisher description)
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"This volume, Shaping Global Cultures through Screenwriting: Women Who Write Our Worlds, tells stories of women who have worked with and within communities to bring the communities’ stories to life through screenwriting. In gathering these examples, we asked for stories that achieved some level
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of impact for the communities. Impact was considered across a number of indices. We wanted to show that attitudes have shifted, policies have been rewritten and the life experiences and ranges of possibility for some have changed for the better as a result of women’s work. We hope to show through our stories that film can change lives; that sharing stories matters; and that women are everywhere, using their skills in screen production for the good of many.
In her excellent book, Women in the International Film Industry: Policy Practice and Power, Susan Liddy (2020) offers ‘a wide-ranging, critical assessment of practice, policy and progress’ to establish the range and scale of gender inequality that currently exists in the world of screen production. She quotes O’Neill and Domingo (2015) to point out that social, economic and political conditions vary, and ‘combine in different ways to enable or constrain women’s agency and leadership’ in screen production (Liddy 2020: 1). In contrast, our book approaches the same problem from the opposite perspective: we seek to correlate the ‘policy, practice and power’ (Liddy 2020) with the actual work of women screenwriters. Our aim is to point out what women screenwriters, creators and filmmakers are doing in disparate corners of the world, and how their effort is positively impacting communities, shaping culture and creating change.
We argue that, despite the fact that women screenwriters are underrepresented in leadership roles in film industries worldwide, the impact of their films remains visible and palpable. We provide evidence that, as women step into the roles of screenwriter, filmmaker and collaborator, using known and emerging technologies, formats and genres under the broad scope of ‘screen production’, they raise the voices of other women and other communities. This volume shows the impact of women’s voices in creating real change for the communities whose stories are told through the topics and themes of these women’s screen works. Not least, this volume seeks to celebrate these women and their communities and bring awareness of that impact to broader communities worldwide." (Introduction, page 1)
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"Several UN peacekeeping operations communicate with the populations in their host state through radio, which remains the most popular medium in many countries. UN strategic communications via radio can help reduce violence against civilians, both during and after armed conflict. This protective eff
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ect of UN radio is evident even in areas where no UN military peacekeepers are deployed. There are four main ways that strategic communications by UN peacekeepers may reduce violence: (1) by building trust in the mission and enhancing cooperation with peacekeepers’ protection activities; (2) by filling gaps in reliable information that might otherwise be filled by misinformation that incites violence; (3) by fostering pro-peace behavioral change among ordinary civilians; and (4) by incentivizing rank-and-file combatants to exercise restraint.
There are many conditions that enhance the persuasiveness of UN strategic communications. Most crucially, messages are more effective when they are perceived as accurate and informative by local audiences. Moreover, narrative messages that are adapted to the local context can strengthen the persuasiveness of UN strategic communications. UN radio stations can leave a positive legacy for the protection of civilians even after peacekeeping operations have left if they transition into a local or regional media outlet. The radio stations that succeed UN radio stations once peacekeeping operations depart will be most likely to contribute to an information environment that protects rather than threatens civilians when NGOs guarantee their independence with continuous funding. Going forward, as the UN seeks to enhance strategic communications in peacekeeping operations, it must carefully manage several trade-offs. These include trade-offs between empowering civilians vs. exposing them to risk; ensuring that messaging is coherent vs. tailoring it to the local context; sustaining independent media vs. promoting national ownership; and expanding access to data vs. maintaining security and host-state consent." (Executive summary)
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"This study explores the usefulness of Community Information Centres (CICs) amidst growing ubiquity of mobile phones. It examines how CICs can play a complementary role to personal mobile phones, specifically in facilitating access to information that translates into social and economic progress. Th
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is study was guided by an Integrative Model of Digital Engagement and Impact (IMDEI) employing selected constructs from three dominant theories namely the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Through a quantitative research design, 500 respondents from 10 CICs were surveyed with 451 valid responses returned. SPSS and SmartPLS software version 25.0 were used to process and analyse the data collected. The findings indicate that although mobile phones are suitable for simple tasks, complicated tasks are better performed in CICs, suggesting a complementary nature of the two (2). The study recommends that future telecentre initiatives adopt models of co-location, which are so far lacking in the Ghanaian case. Moreover, the paper discusses the implications of increased information availability, which allows CICs to widen the scope of services and involve more citizens in their operations, thereby enhancing involvement in activities. The research also discusses the implications of universal service on a wider scale, challenging the adequacy of current service definitions to cater to the needs of heterogeneous communities. The paper concludes that CICs remain an indispensable facility for equitable information access and a source of empowerment, but their success hinges on user participation, adequate policies, and deliberate technology integration. The paper argues for a balanced approach that utilises both mobile technology and CICs to maximize community development and engagement. This study contributes to the ongoing discussion on the role of information access in community development in an increasingly digitalised world." (Abstract)
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"This report presents findings from the third wave of the Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS3), conducted between 2021 and 2025. In this iteration, we focused on journalists’ perceptions of risk and uncertainty in their profession and sought to identify key factors that shape how journalists navigate
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journalism’s changing environment. These risks and uncertainties arise from four partially overlapping domains: politics, economy, technology, and news consumption. Accordingly, the WJS3 questionnaire addressed journalists’ safety, editorial freedom, professional roles, news influences, and labor conditions. Our survey confirms that journalism is under pressure. Journalists worldwide are often undercompensated, and more than one-third engage in secondary employment. Economic pressures on news organizations have intensified in most countries. Nearly half of journalists have been targeted with hate speech, while psychological, physical, and digital threats are more prevalent in the Global South than in the Global North. More than 300 researchers from 75 countries participated in WJS3. This report provides a concise overview of key global findings. Subsequent publications will analyze specific topics in greater depth; please visit worldsofjournalism.org for more information." (Foreword, page 4)
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"Cet ouvrage scientifique, rigoureux et captivant explore ainsi les nombreuses facettes de la violence – telle qu’elle est médiatisée ou exprimée à travers des études sociologiques, des œuvres littéraires, musicales, historiques, culturelles et archivistiques, ou encore dans des TIC –,
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révélant les dynamiques complexes à l’origine de ces représentations. En adoptant une approche analytique minutieuse et poussée, cette étude examine comment la violence postcoloniale, sous ses diverses formes, influence les relations interpersonnelles contemporaines en Afrique et déclenche des conflits à plus ou moins grande échelle. En outre, les deux chercheurs ne dressent pas seulement un état des lieux de l’impact de la violence sur le continent, mais proposent des solutions concrètes pour limiter l’expression et la diffusion de cette violence, en transmettant un message de paix et de vivre-ensemble sur le continent." (Dos de couverture)
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"Avancer une évaluation, une mesure des audiences, des auditoires et des pratiques radiophoniques, c'est en premier lieu poser le constat de la permanence de la radio malgré une augmentation considérable de la concurrence médiatique. Cette permanence devait être analysée. Ce fut l'objet du col
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loque « Audiences, publics et pratiques radiophoniques ». Il s'agissait de présenter et confronter un état des lieux de la vitalité, de la diversité des projets et des vocations, de la vivacité des audiences de la radio ; de mettre en lumière les capacités d'adaptation et d'appropriation de ce média à travers les réponses apportées aux attentes des auditeurs, aux demandes sociales ou identitaires et les propositions à l'éclatement des publics et des pratiques radiophoniques ; ses potentiels d'évolutions également par son acclimatation aux territoires différents, aux communautés spécifiques de même qu'à la numérisation des techniques, aux nouveaux supports de diffusion. Confrontant des démarches diverses, apportant des résultats quantitatifs et d'autres plus qualitatifs, présentant des interrogations méthodologiques, des universitaires et chercheurs de France et d'Europe ainsi que d'Afrique ont partagé leurs points de vue dans un colloque qui se voulait fondateur d'une dynamique nouvelle des études sur la radio. Le présent volume, avec son titre employant délibérément les pluriels, rend compte de la richesse de ces échanges organisés à Bordeaux, le 30 novembre 2001, à l'initiative du Groupe de Recherches et d'Études sur la Radio (GRER), basé à la Maison des Sciences de l'Homme d'Aquitaine." (Description de la maison d'édition)
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"Perpetrators in Documentaries on Genocide is a wide-ranging comparative study that analyses how numerous genocides and their perpetrators have been presented in documentary film. Spanning seven 20th-century genocides across three continents and combining interviews with filmmakers, distant reading,
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content analysis, and historical research, this book tracks the multifaceted representational strategies of over 200 films. Addressing both the local and global contexts impacting their production, the book finds that the socio-political circumstances in the aftermath of genocide, but also the concept of genocide itself, enormously shape the representation of perpetrator groups and their victims. This book highlights and critiques dominant trends in documentary representation, proposing a broader and methodologically innovative approach to studying the depiction of atrocities that provides an encompassing framework for understanding genocide documentaries." (Publisher description)
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"This book provides an important set of critical reflections from a selection of foundational scholars of African media and communication studies through biographical method. The book interrogates the center of mainstream academic scholarship by providing the foundational history and origins of an A
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fricanist conceptual model while highlighting its significance globally. The editors use biographical and life story interviews to critically review the respondents’ interpretations of their key works and arguments in relation to key moments in the field, the continent and globally. Though the book is focussed on recovering pioneering arguments by key thinkers in African media and communication, efforts of individual academics are to be understood in the context of their work with others and within institutions that are networked, locally and globally. By bringing together many of the leading figures of African communication and media studies in a single volume, this book provides a critical corrective to the dearth of knowledge and information about who the key thinkers are and what their key arguments, theories and models for media and communication in African contexts entail." (Publisher description)
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"The presence of cameras, at the forefront of crises, either in the hands of journalists, bystanders or passers-by and sometimes even parties to the crises, has inspired multiple visual notations, commentaries and perspectives. Thus, efforts and resources are channelled towards documenting crises, t
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o help us better understand them and play a part in their resolution. Sometimes, the camera also participates in the adjudication of cases arising from crises or, indeed, even in the reconciliatory efforts after a crisis. The book aims to explore the multi-dimensional role of the camera in times of crises, with particular interest in how scholars view the camera as a [useful] tool in times of crisis in Africa. Hopefully, this book will help unravel the multi-layered tendencies of the camera as an instrument of documentation, history verification, (re)presentation of the other, and perhaps the legitimisation of narratives. The camera’s subjective framings of crisis narratives, as a manipulative tool for influence, inference and power are also explored. The book is structured into three parts. The first part focusses on the visual narratives of crises. The second part of the book explores the camera’s tendency to be a tool for representation and agency, while the third segment discusses the use of the camera as an entity for activism and advocacy in crises. These structured parts are intended to broaden the understanding of readers about the greater possibilities that images and imageries from the camera as a tool possess." (Abstract introduction, page 1)
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"1994 kam es in Ruanda zu einem Völkermord, bei dem radikale Angehörige der Bevölkerungsgruppe der Hutus innerhalb von drei Monaten Hundertausende Menschen aus der Tutsi-Minderheit wie auch viele gemäßigte Hutus umbrachten. Gut 30 Jahre später gilt Ruanda vor allem in Europa und den USA als Vo
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rbild für erfolgreiche Vergangenheitsaufarbeitung, politische Stabilität und wirtschaftlichen Aufstieg in der Region. Wie ist diese Entwicklung innerhalb von drei Jahrzehnten gelungen? Entspricht das Bild vom afrikanischen Vorzeigestaat tatsächlich der Realität? Der Völkerrechtler Gerd Hankel zeigt, dass die Lage komplexer und widersprüchlicher ist. Er schildert die bereits gewaltvolle Vorgeschichte und den Verlauf des Genozids, die anschließenden Bemühungen um juristische Aufarbeitung und einen politischen und wirtschaftlichen Neustart. Dabei wird deutlich, dass das offizielle Narrativ einer umfassenden, unabhängigen Aufklärung und Ahndung der Verbrechen sowie gesellschaftlicher Aussöhnung in deutlichem Widerspruch zur Wahrnehmung eines Großteils der ruandischen Bevölkerung steht. Der langjährige Präsident Paul Kagame setze auf massive staatliche Repression, um Deutungsautorität herzustellen und kritische Stimmen zum Schweigen zu bringen. Davor, dass Unrecht und Fortschritt in Ruanda parallel existierten, mahnt Hankel, sollte die internationale Gemeinschaft nicht die Augen verschließen." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
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"In 'Media Compass: A Companion to International Media Landscapes', an international team of prominent scholars examines both long-term media systems and fluctuating trends in media usage around the world. Integrating country-specific summaries and cross-cutting studies of geopolitical regions, this
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interdisciplinary reference work describes key elements in the political, social, demographic, cultural, and economic conditions of media infrastructures and public communication. Enabling the mapping of media landscapes internationally, Media Compass contains up-to-date empirical surveys of individual countries and regions, as well as cross-country comparisons of particular areas of public communication. 45 entries, each guiding readers from a general summary to a more in-depth discussion of a country’s specific media landscape, address formative conditions and circumstances, historical background and development, current issues and challenges, and more." (Publisher description)
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"How can current debates on ‘media capture’ be understood within the contexts of Africa and Latin America? This edited collection provides a nuanced exploration of media capture—a critical yet contested concept that examines and illuminates how media can become skewed in favour of power—whil
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e also highlighting spaces and strategies of resistance. By adopting a South-South perspective, it brings together scholars focused on these issues in both regions, featuring a dialogue between two leading scholars, Herman Wasserman and Silvio Waisbord in the Foreword. The book not only demonstrates how media practices in Africa and Latin America are influenced by the political economy of their media systems, but also contributes significantly to advancing empirical, theoretical, and comparative research on media in non-Western settings." (Publisher description)
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"This study modelled the factors that influence fake news spreading behaviour among social media users. To gather our data, we used an online survey to sample 385 social media users in Nigeria, using a chain referral approach. Smart PLS structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data (SEM
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). We discovered that lack of mindfulness, religiosity, instant news sharing, self-expression all predicted fake news sharing behaviour of social media users. The impacts of lack of mindfulness and religiosity were found to have a greater effect on fake news sharing behaviour. Exploration was found to have a negative effect on fake news sharing. We concluded this study with some theoretical and practical implications." (Abstract)
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"This book critically examines how the media assistance and broader "development" sectors have appropriated the catch-all concept of sustainability, originally rooted in economic and environmental fields, to suit their agendas. Analysing 289 project evaluations conducted globally between 1999 and 20
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19, it scrutinizes the tacit discourses underpinning what Pierre Bourdieu termed "the imperialism of the universal" in fostering media systems in the Global South. The book reveals how processes of self-legitimation operate within an increasingly competitive aid market, highlighting a shift from "post-missionary" approaches to business-driven models. Focusing on the often-overlooked African context, it explores nuanced coping capacity in Uganda and the Eastern DRC. Amid questioning of the populist wave as well as power-motivated new entrants, it challenges the recurring aid pattern, emphasizing the urgency of centering social impact and values in media assistance. It offers essential insights for scholars and practitioners navigating the evolving geopolitics of development and public diplomacy. Michel Leroy has been active in media action for over 25 years, both as an implementer and as a consultant. A member of an international research programme on media action, he holds a doctorate from the University of Dortmund. He is now a researcher focusing on the social impact." (Publisher description)
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"Within [the radio debate programme) Patara, there was no explicit intention to reach a final conclusion on any given issue. The overall aim of the Ndeke Luka’s debate was to display arguments from different angles about certain specific matters without necessarily having to reach unanimous agreem
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ent among the participants. Clashing and diverging views of how peace should be built and reached were portrayed. It is significant that a radio station dedicated a weekly programme to gathering opposing viewpoints and bringing together actors who had been excluded from the formal, official peace talks in Khartoum. Despite being unofficial, this forum provided by Ndeke Luka drew its strength from being an accessible, “open door” arena. [...] Within the precepts of the editorial line of radio Guira, journalists made no specific allusion to any armed group or armed leader, unless they were engaged in a UN or governmental effort to disarm. This could imply a “safety” measure to avoid any political attrition between the UN and the government. Considering that the UN mission is allowed to be in the country because the hosting government accepts its presence, and that the UN mandate aims at supporting the building of state institutions, it is not surprising that the need to partner with official authorities in all dimensions was present in Le Debat. The challenge for a radio broadcast from a UN media was not to use a bellicose rhetoric. On a final note, distinct perspectives of the processes of “peacebuildings,” in plural, were conveyed by these two radio stations. The term in its plural form is hereby endorsed in order to acknowledge that different perspectives of peacebuilding can and should coexist in the public arena. These multiple understandings sometimes complemented one another and sometimes clashed. It is, in fact, necessary and crucial that numerous views of “peacebuildings” publicly circulate as a way of engaging citizens and communities to collectively discuss the transformation of their realities." (Concluding remarks, pages 14-15)
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