Africa's Media, Democracy and the Politics of Belonging (Paperback)

Africa's Media is a timely book, bringing together several debates about the media which have been bubbling over the last fifteen years. The sub-title of Nyamnjoh's book is important. This is not a country-by-country, factual survey of the media (of the type popular in the 1960s and 70s). It is unashamedly polemic, focusing on media's relationship with African democracy; as such it makes no claim to be geographically comprehensive. This major study explores the role of the mass media in promoting democracy and empowering civil society in Africa. The author contextualizes Africa within in the rapidly changing global media and shows how patterns of media ownership and state control have evolved and the huge difficulties under which most African media workers labor. The author also explores the whole question of media ethics and professionalism in Africa. The general analysis is supported by a detailed case study of Cameroon.