AccueilAfrica narrates itself: media, opinions, influential figures

AccueilAfrica narrates itself: media, opinions, influential figures

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Publié le vendredi 13 octobre 2017

Résumé

These days communication and information are characterized by immediacy, speed, and interactivity. Facebook and Instagram accounts, YouTube channels, and blogs transmit a perpetual flow of information, shared videos, pictures, and other content which creates networks and incentivizes sharing in a constantly evolving language. Contemporary mass media therefore ensures that, today more than ever, people in African countries are at the same time autonomous producers and users of a debate, through partly traditional, partly innovative channels, about life in Africa and African communities’ identity, with a tale that travels across the borders of individual countries and the continent itself.

Annonce

Argument

These days communication and information are characterized by immediacy, speed, and interactivity. Facebook and Instagram accounts, YouTube channels, and blogs transmit a perpetual flow of information, shared videos, pictures, and other content which creates networks and incentivizes sharing in a constantly evolving language.

Research carried out in 2016 by Kantar TNS1 investigates the use of the media by young people in 7 countries of sub-Saharan Africa, observing that 91% of them watch television every day and 44% are on line and use Internet connection mainly to interact through social media (with an increase compared to the previous year).

African blogger awards awarded the 2016 prize for best blog to Africa on the Rise. The Nigerian blog sheds light on the disconnection between the Western perception of Africa and its actual conditions, engaging in highlighting and spreading positive realities, promoting accurate information on Africa’s growing potential and stimulating hope in change.

Among the most popular social personalities it is worth mentioning Strive Masiyiwa, a businessman and philanthropist, from Zimbabwe based in London, funder of various health and education initiatives, and a mentor for young entrepreneurs, through his Facebook page, followed by more than 2.5 million people. As well as Xtian Dela (best 2016 Facebook profile),2 popular blogger, radio presenter and personality on Kenya’s media scene.

Meanwhile, traditional media continues to have a significant follow-up and impact. In Nigeria, the appeal of long-running soap opera Tinsel is followed avidly. The popular soap opera C'est la vie combines entertainment and education in francophone West Africa, promoting awareness and dialogue on important issues such as health, gender violence, and human rights. In addition, discussion is encouraged through meetings, courses, web platforms, thereby overcoming the boundaries faced with television. Reality shows have their part too. Reality shows about cooking, music and dance have been thriving in the continent since the arrival of the Big Brother’s African version, which puts together under the same roof people from different African nations. They gained a wide audience and a consequent impact of sharing and discussion on the social media.

So what about the impact on the Africans of the Diaspora? A study by Mahriana Rofheart3 from Georgia Gwinnett College shows that Senegalese novelists and hip hop artists living in France or Senegal establish connections between diaspora and origin communities which helps tackle the traumatic experience of migration and return. Music and dance - we think of rap and hip-hop - encourage inclusiveness and sharing in a common transnational language.

Contemporary mass media therefore ensures that, today more than ever, people in African countries are at the same time autonomous producers and users of a debate, through partly traditional, partly innovative channels, about life in Africa and African communities’ identity, with a tale that travels across the borders of individual countries and the continent itself.

Within this framework issue 87 of Africa e Mediterraneo seeks to reflect on the forms and languages of the tale that Africa transmits to itself, in particular, but not exclusively, in the framework of the new interactive dynamics of web 2.0.

We welcome contributions dealing with the following subjects from different disciplinary approaches:

  • who are the major African influential figures
  • forms, diffusion and use of traditional media in Africa
  • forms, diffusion and use of new media in Africa
  • the nature of the content and images transmitted
  • impact they have on the Diaspora community
  • ways in which African communicators gain access to the European media panorama
  • impact on the perception of Africa and African countries in other cultures

Deadline for submission

The proposals (max. 400 words) must be submitted

no later than October 25th 2017 

to the following email addresses s.federici@africaemediterraneo.it ; m.scrivo@africaemediterraneo.it.

The editorial committee will examine the proposals. If the proposal is accepted, the complete article with the related abstract (abstract max. 100 words, preferably in English) and a short biography of the author must be submitted by November 30th 2017. Africa e Mediterraneo is a peer reviewed journal.

The articles and the proposals can be submitted in the following languages: Italian, English and French.

Editorial Staff

  • Sandra Federici, Université de Lorraine, Université de Milan
  • Stefano Allievi
  • Ivan Bargna
  • Salvatore Bono
  • Vincenzo Fano
  • Marie-José Hoyet
  • Lorenzo Luatti
  • Pierluigi Musarò
  • Francesca Romana Paci
  • Giovanna Parodi da Passano
  • Irma Taddia
  • Jean-Léonard Touadi
  • Alessandro Triulzi
  • Itala Vivan

Lieux

  • Sasso Marconi, Italie

Dates

  • mercredi 25 octobre 2017

Mots-clés

  • media, social media, africa, television, communication

Contacts

  • Maria Scrivo
    courriel : m [dot] scrivo [at] africaemediterraneo [dot] it

URLS de référence

Source de l'information

  • Maria Scrivo
    courriel : m [dot] scrivo [at] africaemediterraneo [dot] it

Licence

CC0-1.0 Cette annonce est mise à disposition selon les termes de la Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universel.

Pour citer cette annonce

« Africa narrates itself: media, opinions, influential figures », Appel à contribution, Calenda, Publié le vendredi 13 octobre 2017, https://doi.org/10.58079/yi2

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