[Commlist] Call for book chapters: Understanding health crises and their in-print on journalism and media discourses in Africa

BOOK TITLE: *UNDERSTANDING HEALTH CRISES AND THEIR IN-PRINT ON 
JOURNALISM AND MEDIA DISCOURSES IN AFRICA *

When the COVID-19 broke out in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the close of 
2019, no one imagined its rapid global spread and devastating impact – 
especially on the African media ecology. By the end of June, there were 
over 10 million confirmed global cases and over 500,000 confirmed deaths 
in 215 countries (WHO Situation Report July 2020). Declared a Public 
Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health 
Organisation on 30 January 2020, countries around the world embarked on 
public health measures to curb the spread. Lock-downs of different 
proportions and motives have been instituted in most countries and with 
numerous consequences.

Media and public (health and crisis) communication has been at the core 
of the fight against COVID-19 underscoring its role in providing quick, 
accurate and preventive information to combat fear, re-store calm and 
order and save lives by causing adherence to recommended behaviour 
change in critical times of crisis. But the implication goes far beyond 
the need for timely information. Reporters without Border (Tracker 19) 
and UNESCO recently highlighted the new dangers journalists and media 
face during COVID-19 including: misinformation, draconian 
bills/legislation, harassment/intimidation, arrests and jail, withheld 
advertising, murder of journalists, among others.

While, Media discourses around health crises may reflect a global scope, 
such discourses in Africa constitute unique features, struggles, 
histories and challenges and ultimately strategies specific to the 
continent and also country specific. This collection of empirical 
research explores not just the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic but 
also takes a broad approach to understanding discourses around health 
and crisis communication on the continent of Africa. The interest is to 
harness reflected continental media discourses surrounding political, 
social, economic, technological, religious, gendered and cultural and 
systemic developments around health crises including but not limited to 
HIV/AIDS communication, Malaria, Ebola virus pandemic, COVID-19.

Within this context, this book aims to offer novel insights into media 
discourses around health and crisis communication on the African 
continent through rigorous and critical empirical and theoretical 
engagement. The chapters’ expected focus is on 4 interrelated themes: a) 
Impact on Journalism Professional Practice, b) Media content/discourse, 
c) Audience studies and d) Diasporic discourses, pandemic and health 
communication.

*Themes include but are not limited to: *

Economic impact of pandemics on media houses and financial 
sustainability. How do health crises affect the operations and routines 
of journalists? What economic discourses have arisen during the pandemic 
and how are media houses and journalists adapting?

Political impact. In what ways have health crises impacted the media 
politically. i.e. Censorship, restrictions, government dominance of news 
flows, bans, jail, arrests, violence against journalists, bills enacted 
against ‘fake news’, government subsidies (for example during Covid-10, etc?

Technology and the role of Social Media during health crises. How/to 
what extent does technology benefit journalistic work? Public 
communication/audiences? Citizen journalism in times of pandemics? What 
are the prospects and challenges associated with technology? Social 
media usage in seeking and sharing information during health crises.

Remote journalism what are the advantages and challenges associated with 
quarantine (for example during the COVID-19 ‘lock-down’) in terms of 
accessing sources and performing watchdog or investigative journalism?

News coverage with a focus on News Content and discourse analysis, 
including rhetorical analysis. What has been the focus, news frames, 
agendas and/or discourses in the media during health crises? 
Cross-cutting issues such as gender, social justice, ethics, fake news, 
sources, community media, international flows, etc are also of interest.

Key cross cutting issues may intersect public communication, stigma, 
prejudice, discrimination and inequalities, cultural and health beliefs 
about diseases/viruses. As well as preventative strategies by 
communities or governments, behaviour change communication, crisis and 
risk communication, perceived risk and severity and its impact on 
pandemic/disease prevention, misinformation, disinformation and 
behaviour change among others.

Audience studies – includes audience perspectives around COVID-19 and 
other pandemics, audience news consumption and production, sources, 
public sphere discourses, public opinion on government policies during 
and after pandemics and affected groups’ experiences. This may also 
include perspectives from health specialists like doctors, nurses and so on.

Diasporic media discourses during COVID-19. Representations in 
mainstream media of diasporic groups, communities. Discourses on 
immigration, ‘the Other’, symbolic annihilation, transnational flows, 
social media and media consumption and production patterns as critical 
pandemics tend to have global impacts and implication.

Comparative studies along with other methodologically innovative 
approaches that critically engage a wide range of (media, health 
communication and crisis communication) theories are particularly welcome.

*Important dates *

Abstract submission: September 15.

Notification of acceptance: September 30

Article submission deadline: January 15

Double Peer-reviewed returned to authors – February 30

Publishing: July 2021

*Instructions for abstract submission: *

*Abstract *300 words

*Author Bio *200 words

Page 1 should clearly indicate: Title, Author(s) names and Affiliation. 
(Submissions in Pdf format). Submitted on 15 September 2020.

*Editors: *

Carol A. Dralega (PhD) is an Associate Professor at the Department of 
Journalism, Media and Communication, NLA University, Norway where she 
teaches on the Global Journalism Program. Carol holds a PhD from the 
Media Studies Institute, University of Oslo.

Angella Napakol (PhD) is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Communication 
Department at Uganda Chris-tian University. Angella holds a PhD from 
Center for Communication, Culture and Media Studies, University of 
KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa

Send your queries and abstracts to: (carol.dralega /at/ nla.no) or 
(anapakol /at/ ucu.ac.ug) by September 15, 2020.

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