The Changing African Mainstream and Social Media Realities

 By Takura Zhangazha*

 There is a new Reuters Institute and Oxford University report on the changing characteristics of the media and journalism. Not only in relation to the internet, social media but also the emerging field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

This is a global report whose executive summary can be found on their website here. 

I would however advise colleagues or followers of my blog to read it as extensively as they can.  Not only be cause of its importance as to how the old and new media industries are interacting.  

But also more importantly as to how the new is shaping global journalism, reception of information, social media use and how as is now a sociological given, affecting not only human behavior at a global level.  This would include how we interact with global politics, economics and everyday existence as human beings.  Be it at a pragmatic (food, sustenance, money) or even an emotional (religious, political and historical) level.

I am not going to summarise the report in the form of a review. 

I will take note of some of its key findings as they differentiate global consumption of media products, new technologies and their use between the global north and the global south. 

While the report does not directly touch on Zimbabwe specifically I am quite certain that it reflects general trends in the Southern African region where it looks at South Africa, the country as an example.

What it makes generally clear to all of us is that we are no longer both globally and regionally relying on traditional or mainstream media for everyday news.  Though in some European countries mainstream media remains more important for more serious news. Be it via television, radio and in some cited instances, traditional print media. 

In the global south like almost everywhere else in the world there is a rise in the use of social media platforms to create new sources of information via what we now refer to as ‘influencers’.   These are individuals that as outlined in the report are now either influencing news cycles through increasingly utilized platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and TikTok or just generally shaping public discourse as they deem  for more likes and/or revenue.  

Specifically in Zimbabwe we have witnessed the impact that social media influencers are gaining.  Not only in politics but also entertainment (comedy skits) and religious matters.  Even with our mainstream media, we are no longer as sure of who their primary sources of information are because many news stories are broken first on social media platforms such as Whatsapp before they are seen or confirmed in your regular newspaper, radio or television station. 

We have also within the Zimbabwean context seen how government is trying to straddle these new platforms in order to control their societal impact. This, by trying to have its own team of influencers in the form of ‘Varakashi’ countering narratives they deem to be detrimental to their hold on power. 

Ditto the recent incident of war veteran Blessed Geza going viral on social media and the subsequent at least three month detention of journalist Blessed Mhlanga for interviewing him. A matter that is still pending before the courts but caused international condemnation at the government's repressive tendencies against the media.  

What is however clear from the report within an African context is that while we are not that much studied in it, we are clearly enroute to the same societal impact in how we interact with mainstream social and AI media.

Where in part this is now a generational question.  It is younger men that are more interested in new media and what I would hazard to call populist views on social media.  One that tends to be more misogynist, nationalist and materialistic.  Especially in the global north. Even though we now have our own mimicry versions here in Zimbabwe that mix masochism, religion, displays of wealth, political partisanship’s as measurements of life success. All mainly online.

And where it concerns young African women things become more complex because of either gender based cyberbullying and the dominance of young men online. Or an emerging celebrity female influencer culture that remains highly sexualized and again misogynist.  Almost in the same tradition of mainstream British media ‘Page 3’ photoshoots of hyper-sexualised young women. 

The report however in a penultimate comment on it, makes reference to Africa’s skepticism of AI.  On this, I would agree that for now here in the global south we are not too trusting of news brought us via that ‘artificial’ way.  The only catch is that we will be taught to eventually do so.

Mainly because of AI’s inevitability in how we receive and interact with news or critical technologies.

The only sad part is that we will not realize until its too late that AI is couched in what I consider borderline racist tropes about African people, their languages and their histories.  Mainly because of the origins of its key inventors and how they process information, algorithms in their own imperial and preferential image(s).  Please don’t talk about a gorilla fighting a hundred men in Africa! 

Finally, and based on the report I have been citing, I should have probably done a video ‘podcast’ of my views on it.  Even within the African context.  Unfortunately I am not that photogenic.  But we are now going to a situation in which where what we see and simultaneously hear is increasingly more important in the media.  Or our access to information.  Over and above what we have the patience to read. 

And that will be a big problem soon.  If not already. Unless we become more contextually organic to our African diverse and progressive media cultures.  

*Takura Zhangazha writes here in his personal capacity (takura-zhangazha.blogspot.com)