This volume presents 13 essays by researchers from Africa, Norway, and the US, who examine the media in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa and whether the pandemic changed the conditions for media viability, framing, and outreach, as well as how health communication led to changes in social behavior and mental health. They consider success factors for subscription-based models and digital platforms in Uganda, focusing on the news website Chimreports; the impact of the pandemic on feminist media in Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania; the impact of economic factors on coverage of COVID-19 in the privately owned commercial radio station Central Broadcasting Service in Uganda; the effects of the pandemic on the Ethiopian newspaper industry; its economic impact on the print media industry in Zimbabwe; the knowledge of urban youth about the pandemic and related prevention measures in Uganda, including their sources of information and the credibility of those sources; the use of fear appeal messaging in print media in Namibia and South Africa to frame COVID-19 and motivate behavior change; how the pandemic was framed in Uganda's New Vision and Daily Monitor newspapers; and how state authorities in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe framed the crisis on Facebook. The final section looks at health communication discourses, including the experiences of journalists with mental health during the pandemic in Uganda; health communication in South Africa; vaccine hesitancy and uptake among health workers, armed personnel, and teachers in Uganda; and information and communication among the African diaspora in Norway during the 2020 lockdown. Distributed in North America by Turpin Distribution. Annotation ©2022 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
This critical research collection focuses on Eastern and Southern Africa providing timely and valuable insights and reflections around the changes and stabilities within media ecosystems caused by the novel Covid-19 crises.
As the global COVID-19 pandemic that broke out over two years ago is showing signs of relenting, and the worlds attention draws towards yet another military conflict in Ukraine, the roles of crisis communication and media research couldnt be more critical. These roles, particularly in a post-truth and post-COVID era, call for new knowledge and enlightenment around discourses on: the infodemic of misinformation, information and communication rights, the role of online social networks, critical media literacy and the changes occuring in media and journalism ecosystems.
Drawing on the regions distinct geo-political, economic, socio-cultural and technological contexts, COVID-19 and the Media in Sub-Saharan Africa brings together diverse interdisciplinary and multi-country perspectives, innovative methodologies as well rigorous theoretical and empirical analyses. The volume helps us deconstruct COVID-19 discourses on crisis communication and media developments focusing on three areas: Media viability, Framing and Health crisis communication. The chapters unpack issues on marginalisation, gender, media sustainability, credibility, priming, trust, sources, behavioural change, mental health, (mis)information, vaccine hesitancy and myths and more.
Ultimately, this volume roots for sustainable and quality journalism, human (information and communication) rights, commitment to truth and efficacious (health) crisis communication. It is an excellent resource for academics, media industry, Journalism and media students, public health communication specialists, policy and advocacy groups in the region and globally.
