Notes on News
Resisting Stereotypes: "Migration Crisis" and the Representation of Migrants of African Descent
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Lydia Ouma Radoli
This paper uses discourse analysis to examine news excerpts from diasporic media and interviews with media experts “on the representation of migrants of African Descent in Europe.” As the influx of migrants from war-torn countries of Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, and Ukraine culminates to “a migration crisis,” migrants outside the category of violence and conflict are labelled in stereotypes that reify “otherness.” Although pockets of Kenyans remain in Europe (Germany and Britain) illegally, many migrate as professionals, expatriates, students, sports talents, etc. They exist within migrant contexts in Europe and are lumped together as “economic migrants.” In Europe, migrants are viewed as threats to the economic well-being and detractors to the political climate. Stereotypical representations of migrants inhibit their integration in host societies. Yet, public discourse ignores their economic contribution at home and abroad. The migration influx of refugees from conflict zones has amplified stereotypes of migrants as “illegals, foreigners, and infringers of social welfare.” However, diasporic media like "Mkenya Ujerumani" (Germany) and "Ukentv" (UK) in this study, (re)produce an alternative narrative of how Kenyans resist and survive the stereotypes. In this paper, I highlight how aspects of representations of migration and development in diasporic media negate a Eurocentric thought.
Anyone Can Publish, But Whom Will We Trust?: Factional Strategies for News Production in a Polyfactual Society
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Holmgaard Christensen
In this paper I claim that we live in a poly-factual society. A poly-factual society is characterized by the production and sharing of factual information in many novel ways other than through traditional news work and editorial gatekeeping. In a poly-factual society, information production and distribution is center-less and not hierarchically organized. News can come from other actors than news companies and how we produce and receive news in society is being re-institutionalized. Corporations, tech-companies, public institutions, organisations, and the public at large all struggle to be trustworthy gatekeepers in a digital media environment. In this struggle to be an authority that can present the truest factual knowledge, we see tribal bickering both between politicians and between news media. We also see a tendency of polarization where people support like-minded people in a fight to define "the facts." Despite this situation, we are neither left with pure lies nor are we out of facts in society, but out of too much factual diverging information have sprung distrust and skepticism in mediated information. Evidently this has lead to a disbelief in political communication but in particular a disbelief in news media as an authoritative voice of truth. Ultimately the power of the news media to oversee political debate and act as society’s watchdog is fading. Hence, the paper clarifies why it is important to abstain from a banal use of "post-truth," "post-factual," and "fake news" and instead embrace notions of poly-factuality and news as factional strategies that can produced from various actors in society.
On Bended Knees: The Dying Art of Investigative Journalism in Nigeria
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Kevin Onyenankeya, Kehinde Opeyemi Oyesomi
In the past decades, Nigerian newspapers competed intensely for scoops. Reporters jostled to be the first to file that ground-breaking story. But lately, exclusives have become rare occurrence in many Nigeria newspapers. Scores of newspapers now major in recycling handouts and press releases from politicians and corporate entities. Media critics, argue that investigative journalism in Nigeria is in dire straits. For a country with one of the most robust and freest media in Africa, investigative journalism should have unencumbered flourish, but the reverse appears the case. Why is investigative journalism in its tailspin? Is there a transformation in the media culture of riveting journalism? This study examines why investigative journalism has become endangered in Nigeria. It examines the role of sectional politics, political partisanship, bribery and corruption, threat to life, poor incentives as well as ownership structure in the gradual disappearance of investigative journalism from Nigerian newspapers. To achieve these objectives, twelve structured interviews involving editors and reporters in four newspaper organisations in Lagos and Abuja were conducted. The two cities are where media are mostly produced and consumed, where tensions and struggles for control of information, communication, political thoughts and social discourses take place. It is also in these cities that important political, social and economic decisions are taken and where you have high incidence of criminal and mindboggling atrocities occurring daily.
Indigenous Language and Radio Advertisement: A Study of Olorunda Community, Ibadan, Nigeria
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Kehinde Oyesomi, Kevin Onyenankeya
The use of indigenous language by organisations in providing customer relations to their publics has become a thing of necessity. It is therefore important to understand the effectiveness of the use of indigenous language in relating with people who reside in rural communities through radio advertisements. This study therefore attempts to investigate the effectiveness of indigenous language of MTN Radio advertisement in Olorunda community in Ibadan, Oyo state. The study makes use of MTN because it is a non-indigenous company and also the leading telecommunication network provider in Nigeria. The study aims to discover how a non-indigenous organisation interacts with local communities. The study is anchored on the medium theory. Also, four research questions are raised and answered. The survey design was used as the research method, questionnaire and interview guide were used as instruments for data collection. The population of the study were MTN subscribers that reside in Olorunda community which had a sample size of 300. An in-depth interview was conducted with the trade marketing consultant of MTN, Ibadan. Findings revealed that the use of indigenous language for radio advertisements is effective as 84.7% of the respondents remembered MTN radio indigenous advertisement. 80.7% of the respondents also stated that the advertisement aid their understanding of the messages communicated. This study therefore recommends that a timely research should be implemented in organisation’s operations to ensure that they are meeting their customers’ needs with the right messages and through the right medium.
