[Commlist] Digital Media Literacies in Africa: Call for Papers

Digital Media Literacies in Africa: Call for Papers

A great deal of scholarly attention has been given to media literacy in 
recent years, as shown by the numerous books and journal articles 
published on the topic over the past decade. Yet much of this research 
examines media literacy in the European, Asian, and American contexts. 
Africa, by contrast, has been given scant attention. The recent Wiley 
Blackwell International Encyclopedia of Media Literacy, for example, has 
a range of case studies, none of which comes from Africa. Within the 
research literature, two broad approaches are noticeable. One looks at 
media literacy from the point of view of “skills” (such as news literacy 
and how to spot propaganda or fake news) while the other is concerned 
with how to develop  “critical” media literacies (for example, 
understanding how media ownership shapes news content). However, due to 
the development of ICTs and social media, media literacy concepts and 
research foci have expanded dramatically over the past two decades. For 
example,  Keener & West (2021) identify media literacies as including 
issues such as traditional news literacy; digital citizenship; digital 
literacy; information literacy; media arts; and technological media 
literacy.

Despite differences in approach to media literacy, the overarching goal 
of media literacy scholarship and advocacy is to empower media users, 
enabling them to understand the complexities of media production and 
consumption as well as the implications of media for individuals and 
society at large. Ultimately, we argue with Lewis and Jhally (2006) that 
the primary aim of media literacy education is to create more 
sophisticated citizens, rather than sophisticated media consumers.

What is interesting from our current African context is the particular 
variety and distribution of media that are available due to our colonial 
past; and how these are made part of social life in contexts of deep 
inequalities. Given this history and the inequalities that shape how we 
are able to access and interact with the media - whether “legacy” or 
digital media - we ask: “what does it mean - and take - to be media 
literate in Africa today?” What research there is, appears 
contradictory: de Laneroll, Walton, and Schoon  (2020) for example argue 
that despite the enormous challenges of being “less connected” in 
African contexts of economic and infrastructural inequality, people are 
highly skilled and resourceful in order to overcome their digital 
limitations. In contrast, research that is interested in a developmental 
agenda tends to stress the importance of media literacy, particularly in 
the context of growing disinformation and misinformation spread via 
digital media platforms. For example, the recent Covid-19 pandemic 
brought media literacy in Africa into sharp focus, particularly with the 
creation and spread of disinformation and misinformation about the virus 
and efforts to combat it (Cunliffe-Jones, et al, 2021). In this unique 
seven-country study, Cunliffe-Jones et al. conclude that misinformation 
literacy is barely taught in Africa.

Given this paucity of scholarship about media literacy in Africa, 
especially in relation to the complexity of our media landscape, as well 
as digital inequalities and its impacts on Africans as media users 
(producers and consumers) in the age of rising internet connectivity, 
social media, information overload, disinformation and misinformation, 
this call for paper is targeted at understanding themes such as:

Journalism and digital media literacy in Africa
Youth digital media literacy education in Africa
Youth, social media and self-representation
Media literacy, cyberbullying, sexting, trolling, phishing and media 
addiction
Digital media literacy, gender and body-image positivity
Media literacy education in African countries
Media literacy in African contexts of socio-economic inequality
Media literacy and digital inequalities in Africa
Power and hegemony in legacy and digital media in Africa
Media literacy, dis/misinformation and fact-checking in African contexts
Media literacy and African citizenship education
Media literacy, political communication and propaganda in Africa
Media literacy and digital media activism in Africa
Innovative indigenous digital media literacy practices in Africa
Media literacy and health communication
Digital advertising and disinformation
Digital literacy and COVID-19

Interested researchers and practitioners are invited to submit an 
abstract of 350 words clearly explaining the details of their proposed 
contributions in line with the theme and any of the subthemes for this 
project by 1 February 2023.
Abstracts should be emailed to: (digitalliteracies /at/ ru.ac.za) 
<mailto:(digitalliteracies /at/ ru.ac.za)>

Contributors will be notified about the status of their abstracts by 17 
February 2023.
Full papers are expected to be submitted by 31 May 2023
The journal will be published online by 1 February 2024
You may view the special edition page on African Journalism Studies: 
Digital Media Literacies in Africa at 
https://bit.ly/Digital_Media_Literacies 
<https://bit.ly/Digital_Media_Literacies>
All interested authors must consult the guidelines for manuscript 
submissions at 
https://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?show=instructions&journalCode=recq21 
<https://www.tandfonline.com/action/authorSubmission?show=instructions&journalCode=recq21>
All contributions will be subjected to a double-blind review process.
No Article Processing Charges apply to /African Jouranlism Studies/.


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