Transcript Something about HANA

How does the
Internet change
journalism?
Tunis 15 November 2005
How does the
Internet change
journalism?
Guy
Berger
Rhodes University, South Africa
Tunis 15 November 2005
“HERE’S THE NEWS …”
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Media & Global
Development.
Research 1:
Coverage of IS
policy issues.
Research 2: ICTs
in newsrooms.
Highway Africa.
Conclusion.
SECTION 1: THEORY
Luddites – left behind in media role!
 But: alternative – techno-fetishism?
 Consider historical paradigms for media
when it’s seen as a tech for progress:

– Modernisation
– Dependista
– Participatory
i. Modernisation paradigm

Assumption of desirable devt:
= urban, affluent, informed, rational.
Cause: exposure to the “modern”
 Media as “magic bullet” (1 way flow)
 Temporary hurdle: tech have-nots
 Answer: disseminate (Rogers)


Results for democracy, poverty: poor
ii. Challenge! Dependistas
Media ≠ force for development
but underdevelopment.
 Cultural imperialism: individualistic,
escapist, consumerist, materialist.
 Rather: break dependency & 1-way flow.
 Use media for national development
 = Nationalisation, development journalism


Results on poverty/democracy: mixed
iii. Participatory Approach:
Developees must define development
 Need human rights & democracy!
 Respect people as active & knowledgeable
subjects - just add capacity
 Horizontal comms critical… community radio


Results: early days
The ‘new’ ICTs since ‘97
Internet, now cellular
 Individual & mass media
 Can be very participatory, and interactive
 View of “ICT4D” (mass media ignored)
 Dominant view: ICT = access to “global”
(i.e. Western) knowledge (Modernisation)
 = telecoms links needed (Modernisation)
 Major issue = access (dd).
 Yes, but ………

Synthesising paradigms & ICTs
Modernisation:
yes, tech is NB,
yes, 1st World info is NB.
 Dependista:
inappropriate info,
South needs local content.
 Participatory highlights need for:

• Democratic & enabling environment
• “Louder voices” from South = global dialogue.
Synthesising paradigms: media
Same insights apply to
mass media!
– Modernisation (info, tech)
– Dependista (local)
– Participatory (democratic)
And to media assimilation of (& with) ICTs:
• in the use of ICTs for inputs, and
• also as outputs.
SECTION 2: RESEARCH
Assessing how African media
see & use ICTs in input:

Using the insights of the 3 paradigms…
– Research 1: Coverage of ICT policy
– Research 2: ICTs in newsrooms

Findings underline relevance of the
three paradigms…
Research 1: ICT policy coverage
Public sphere, agendasetting, framing?
 Six countries (Catia)
 Most have, or are
developing, an ICT policy
 Minimal coverage (except
Ethiopia)
 Seen as tech/business story
 No gender or Info Society

Research 1:
Framing = simple: liberalise & privatise!
“All else shall follow …”
 “Africa is behind” – catch-up ethos.
 ICTs treated as an unrelated side-issue to
democracy (& development).
 Journalists grasp their role in political policy,
don’t see same in ICTs & IS policy.


= Reinforces modernisation view, that : the
media “don’t get it”, i.e. backward!
Research 2: journos using ICTs
IMPRESSIONS:
Computers, but …
 Barely use cameraphones, PDAs.
 Not multi-skilling, SABC bi-media
reversed.
 CMS deployment is rare.
 Little convergence of parent & online.
 Output: websites just hanging in there.

Research 2: ICTs in newsrooms


Theory drew from
Modernisation:
– ICTs increase
productivity
– Early adopters NB.
Findings = “laggards
on input side”
9 Southern African
countries,
MA student
project (IDRC)
Research 2: findings

Computers, not connected
– Limited access (hence, cybercafes)
No training policy or practice
 All interviewed use Net for email
 Only 1/2 use it for research, poor skill
 Early adopters - unclear
 So what?: “catch-up!” (Modernisation)

Summing up:
Research 1: need education & sensitisation
 Research 2: need access & skills

Poor sense of Africa’s info riches
 Poor sense of participatory possibilities
BUT:

Actors, not objects.
 Critical of content and language
 Visit cybercafes; use own cellular.

SECTION 3:
A
vibrant & growing
network of African
journalists empowered
to advance democracy
& development through
understanding & use of
appropriate
technologies.
Highway Africa history:
2001: all African countries connected
 1997: HA commenced – 65 people
 2005: 480 delegates, 17 sponsors
 Aims:
– Raise awareness
– Impart skills
– Bridge industry-academy
– Continental networking

HA, partners, progress
Dept of Communications
 SABC as co-host
 Award for innovation
 Exhibitions
 Website, daily paper
 Radio, TV, cellular
 Experimental journalism
 News feed

2. HA training: report, use, lobby
Conference pm workshops
 5-day courses (x 3 years)
 In our degree curriculum
 Advocacy & civil society
 Declarations, Prepcoms
= expand media role as
stakeholder in IS policies:

4. Information - HANA
HANA has a history:
2002: WSSD x 15
 2002: launch of African Union x 15

2003: WSIS – prepcoms,
Geneva x 25
 2004: Africa Telecoms,
WSIS prepcom, Aitec,
Marrakesh, Icann x 20
 2005: Accra prepcom,


Tunis today (with UNECA)
For HA, Info Society spans:
Freedom for new & old media.
 Quality of info, African voices, policy issues.
 Media use of ICT potential.

“IS” conceptualises this big picture
 = Participatory paradigm in practice!

SECTION 5:
CONCLUSION
Modernisation, dependista, participatory
paradigms – some flaws, but also insights.
 2 research projects: = modernisation

– But journos are subjects, not objects:
 Visit cybercafes; own cellular; critical

HA: fuse paradigms, stress participatory
 Intervention to empower and make space.
Thank you
Guy Berger
[email protected]
C U @ HA@10
11-15 Sept 2006
“Celebrations, Reflections, Directions”
Grahamstown, South Africa
[email protected]
www.highwayafrica.ru.ac.za/hana