Citizen activism and the media in South Africa: towards an ethics of listening
About the lecture
Since the fall of apartheid in South Africa, citizen protests in poor communities have become regular occurrences. These protests can be seen as part of the democratizing process, as citizens contest the dividends of democracy. Viewing protests by poor communities from an elite perspective, news media coverage often contribute to a widening gap between journalists and communities in a highly unequal country. This talk will give an overview of this coverage and explore a proposed alternative approach: an ‘ethics of listening.’
Disinformation in the Global South: A research agenda
About the lecture
Despite being a widespread problem in countries in the Global South, the study of disinformation remains dominated by examples, case studies and models from the Global North. In order to gain a better understanding of the knowledge gaps and areas where further research is required, as well as to identify opportunities for inter- and intra-regional cooperation, more research into the types of disinformation, the social factors enabling its spread, and possible contextually relevant interventions is needed. This talk will provide an overview of some of these research efforts.
About the speaker
Herman Wasserman is professor of media studies at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He has published widely on media in Africa. His latest book is Media, Conflict and Democracy in Africa (Oxford University Press) and his forthcoming co-edited collection (with Dani Madrid-Morales), Disinformation in the Global South, is forthcoming from Wiley-Blackwell. Wasserman is editor-in-chief of the academic journals African Journalism Studies and the Annals of the International Communication Association.