Archive for calls, May 2012

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[ecrea] Call for papers: Social media and journalism in Africa

Tue May 29 01:56:01 GMT 2012


*Ecquid Novi: African Journalism Studies*

* *

*Call for papers: Special Issue --*

*Social media and journalism in Africa*

*(final call, with apologies for cross postings)*

* *

*Guest Editor: Chris Paterson, University of Leeds*

This Special Issue of *Ecquid Novi: African Journalism Studies *will survey the intersection of SOCIAL MEDIA and

JOURNALISM in Africa. We hope to offer a venue for new empirical research and for the development of theory and

analysis. Publication will be in early 2013.

Around Africa tensions are evident between the rapid commercialization and deregulation of traditional media and

increasing pressures for a compliant media discourse from commercial and state media proprietors. Social media

demonstrate an unprecedented ability for the politically engaged to both bypass and influence traditional information

flows, but social media use faces unique circumstances through much of Africa, due to an underdeveloped telecommunications

infrastructure, limited (though rapidly increasing) extra-urban mobile access, and bandwidth limitations in

many areas. There has been a rapid escalation in the numbers of people using Twitter to monitor and to disseminate

information, and the use of mobile devices is also skyrocketing amid massive marketing campaigns dominated by a few

multinational providers. While use of social media may be less constrained by government control in Africa than

elsewhere, its role remains largely untested in the context of general under-development and limited ICT penetration.

Signs of social change brought by leapfrogging mobile technology are evident around the continent, inspiring questions

about the new nature of information exchange and citizenship. Crucial questions remain about whether the apparent

efficacy of social media as a political organising tool beyond state control in north Africa has implications for the rest of the

continent.

Authors may address the following questions, but other approaches and related topics are welcome:

- How have social media supplemented or replaced traditional information sources?

- How are social media and other new media being incorporated into processes of journalism in Africa?

- Are social media changing established flows of information in Africa and between Africa and the world?

- How do specific cases of social media and other ICT use in Africa compare with non-African cases?

- How are diasporic and/or exiled journalists employing social media?

- To what extent have social media been an empowering force in Africa?

- Are new forms of citizenship emerging in Africa as a result of social media?

- What new methodological challenges to the study of journalism in Africa are posed by social media or emerging forms of

communications generally?

We are open to a variety of methodological approaches and geographic foci. Articles should be 6000-8000 words and

proposals for shorter commentaries are also welcome.

Contact the editor of this issue with expressions of interest: *(c.paterson /at/ leeds.ac.uk)*. The deadline for articles is July

15 2012, but earlier submissions are welcome. All submissions will be peer reviewed, with notification of

acceptance by September 1, and revision required by October 1 2012.


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