[Commlist] Call for participation - Panel on an African Model of Media Systems

*Panel on an African Model of Media Systems*

We are pleased to announce our panel discussion of our proposed paper, 
“Towards an African Model of Media Systems”. We are looking for 
feedback, critique, and collaboration from scholars from diverse 
disciplinary backgrounds. Prof Dan Hallin will be in attendance.

Scholars focusing on areas including but not limited to media and 
communication, African studies, Global South studies, and media and 
democracy, are invited to attend. Our panel occurs on Wednesday 5^th 
February at 4pm GMT. Please email Dr Bernadine Jones or Prof Adrian 
Hadland for the meeting link by Tuesday 4^th February at 5pm GMT 
(details further down).

*Abstract under consideration:*

*Towards an African Model of Media Systems*

Global models such as Hallin and Mancini’s /Three Models of Media and 
Politics/ (2003, 2011, 2021) often fall short in addressing the unique 
complexities of African postcolonial states, where media systems are 
shaped by hybrid political, economic, and cultural dynamics. The need to 
recognise African media as a critical site for advancing human 
liberation, promoting equality in access to information, and supporting 
decolonisation has long been acknowledged. This was a central theme of 
UNESCO’s NWICO debate (1980) and remains a driving force behind the 
organisation’s IPDC framework, which focuses on fostering media 
development in transitional and postcolonial nations.

This paper outlines a dedicated African model of media systems, one that 
is firmly rooted in postcolonial realities and aligned with the 
developmental objectives of UNESCO’s IPDC. Responding to Hallin and 
Mancini’s call for “substantial modifications” and the development of 
“new models” (2004, p. 306), this proposal seeks to move beyond the 
normative assumptions of Euro-American frameworks. It addresses the 
hybridisation of media markets, divergent ethical practices, persistent 
political interventions, and rapidly evolving technological and 
political infrastructures in African contexts.

By integrating the intricate histories of postcolonialism, the 
challenges of democratic development, and the contextual realities of 
the Fourth Industrial Revolution, an African model seeks to offer a 
non-Western-centric typology of media systems. It reimagines media as 
not only reflective of political structures but as a transformative 
agent capable of driving equity, decolonisation, and sustainable 
development in African nations. This model would contribute to ongoing 
global discourse by offering a framework that is both theoretically 
robust and practically responsive to the unique challenges and 
opportunities of African postcolonial states.

*Theme*:

This panel aims to critically revisit the applicability of Hallin and 
Mancini's Three Models theory in the context of the Global South, with a 
particular focus on postcolonial countries. We encourage participation 
from scholars who engage with the following themes, or others:

 1. Critiques and Reassessments of the Three Models Theory in the Global
    South
 2. Comparative Analyses of Media Systems in the Global South
 3. Africanization and/or Hybridization of Media Models
 4. Postcolonial Trajectories of Media, Politics, and Democracy
 5. Digital Disruption and Media Dynamics in Emerging Democracies
 6. Development of new Media Models

*Prompt questions:*

  * Which features of media-state relations are unique to Africa and/or
    to the postcolonial global south?
  * What have we missed?
  * What needs to be emphasised?
We will be taking this paper to the Future of Journalism conference in 
2025, and hopefully to ICA in 2026 with a panel of scholars. Should you 
be interested in this ICA panel, please consider joining the meeting on 
the 5^th of February.

*Contact Information:*

For inquiries and further information, please contact Authors Dr 
Bernadine Jones ((b.l.jones /at/ stir.ac.uk) <mailto:(b.l.jones /at/ stir.ac.uk)>) and 
Dr Adrian Hadland ((a.hadland /at/ stir.ac.uk) <mailto:(a.hadland /at/ stir.ac.uk)>).


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