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SoSe 23: Participatory media and communication practices in Africa

Tilo Grätz

Kommentar

The seminar (OS2) focusses on participatory media in Sub-Saharan-Africa, and aims at discussing its potentials and limits for various daily users. Participatory media are here understood in a wide sense, including both “classic”’ as well as social media, when these become interactive communication technologies enabling direct exchanges and moments of co-production between various media users, including professional and non-professional ones. The seminar starts off with debates on contemporary perspectives on processes of media change including those from Africa itself, before we will elaborate on central concepts and questions that shall guide our discussions. Furthermore, case studies on central political as well as social actors making productive use of such participatory media will feature a wide range of users, and discuss the significance of such media in processes of emancipation and changing public spheres. All examples will try to contextualize the analysis within regional media systems, shaped by various degrees of state control, technological standards and a diversity of ownerships. All students are required to contribute to the seminar by either presenting a case study, discussing central concepts or summarizing major debates. Results are collected at the FU-Blog “Media in Africa” https://blogs.fu-berlin.de/mia/ which accompanies the seminar and offers relevant information (after the necessary registration) to all participants. Attending the introductory meeting on 20/4/23 is mandatory. Schließen