Participatory Journalism in Africa : News Engagement and User Agency in the ...

Participatory Journalism in Africa : News Engagement and User Agency in the South, Hardcover by Mabweazara, Hayes Mawindi; Mare, Admire, ISBN 0367197294, ISBN-13 9780367197292, Brand New, Free shipping in the US"This book offers an African perspective of how news organisations are embracing participatory practices as part of their everyday news production, dissemination and audience engagement strategies. Drawing on empirical evidence from news organisations in sub-Saharan Africa, Participatory Journalism in Africa investigates and maps out professional practices emerging with journalists' direct interactions with readers and sources via online user comment spaces and social media platforms. Using a social constructivist approach, th focuses on the challenges relating to the elite-centric nature of active participation on the platforms, while also highlighting emerging ethical and normative dilemmas. The authors also point to the hidden structuralcontrols to participation and user engagement associated with artificial intelligence, chatbots and algorithms. These obstacles, coupled with low literacy levels and the well-established pitfalls of the divide, challenge the utopian view that in Africa interactive technologies are the sine qua non spaces for democratic participation. This is a valuable resource for academics, journalists, and students across a wide range of disciplines including journalism studies, communication, sociology, and political science"--