Social Media Driven Journalism in Africa: Some Theoretical Perspectives

Abstract

This book is the first and only edited volume looking at the appropriation of social media for journalistic purposes in Africa, what we regard as social media driven journalism. There have been several stand-alone articles and chapters that have gone into this area and consequently paving way for this important work. In this volume we cover, among others, the political economy of social media journalism, theoretical perspectives, start-ups, and country case studies. This book provides insights into the complexity of the appropriation and incorporation of social media into the traditional news media mix in African and African journalism. The main aim is to examine what, how, and to what extent is social media reconfiguring and restructuring journalistic practice as we know it. The blurring of social media content and news media content requires a closer investigation. If social media is reconfiguring journalism as a craft, to what extent is this configuring aiding or undermining the profession. Hence, employing a cross-section of methodological approaches, country case studies, and theoretical paradigms, the introductory chapter assesses trends and opportunities associated with the increasingly pervasive use of social media. The chapter promotes a new conceptualization of a certain type of journalism which is specifically born and thrives through social media applications in present-day sub-Saharan Africa. This introductory chapter theorizes social media driven journalism, maps the changing structure of journalism, and looks at new forms of journalisms enabled by advent and wide use of social media applications. The chapter concludes with giving individual chapter summaries and how they contribute to the concept of social media driven journalism and how that is shaping journalism cultures across Africa.