Media and cyber-democracy in Africa: an introduction


Date: January 1, 1970
  • SHARE:

This seminar seeks to stimulate more critical thinking about the new opportunities for enhanced and engaged citizenship presented by African media as they become implicated into the digital age, acquiring, in the process, characteristics of ‘new media’. In this regard, my task is to provide a sketch of the discourse of media and ‘cyber-democracy’ as I see it unfolding, in and out of Africa. In so doing, I will, firstly, draw attention to the characteristic features of new media technology. Secondly, I will attempt a ‘theorising’ of cyber-democracy, within the context of general democratic theory. Thirdly, I will set out a vision of cyber-democracy for Africa. In delineating this vision, I will highlight six features characteristic of the democratic potential of new media technology and give examples of how Africa has appropriated them. Finally, I will outline what I think might constitute a ‘new media’ research agenda for Africa.


Publisher: Paper presented at Rhodes University for the SABMiller Chair of Media & Democracy: African media and the digital public sphere seminar
Year of Publication: 2006

Comment on Media and cyber-democracy in Africa: an introduction

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *