
On the one hand they have been praised for their progressive characteristics. This is because they offer great organising potential, enhance political accountability and disrupt old media practices that tend to exclude less powerful voices from important social and political discussions.
On the other hand, they have invited notes of caution. This is because new media platforms embolden and even midwife bullies, ethnic jingoists, and nationalist radicals who are a threat to social cohesion.
Both points of view have merit. New media platforms can be powerful forces for democracy and also a space for dangerous, sectarian and divisive ideas. A number of governments seem to be exploiting these fears in a bid to control these platforms.
These attempts are likely to become a lot more commonplace across Africa. Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and Gambia have already passed laws that target social media users specifically. Some of these laws criminalise free speech online, while others have made the use of social media too expensive for users.
Nevertheless, new media platforms are increasingly being used. Their importance on the political landscape can't be over-emphasised. This is because they have allowed people excluded from public communication to articulate their fears and desires in a way that wasn't previously possible. The widespread use of applications such as Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp has been particularly instrumental in including a broad range of users in public discussions.
A modern news platform Rather than rely on the mainstream press to cover important political stories, citizens are able to discuss issues in the digital space. When their stories go viral the mainstream media then begins to cover them as important news items.
Twitter in particular has become a useful political tool for many. And Twitter's standard vernaculars such as hashtags and memes have also been creatively appropriated to reflect local inflections. Humour, local languages, and idioms abound.
The fact that participants are also able to tag their leaders further means that authority is confronted directly. And a poor person living in an informal settlement is now able to confront the head of state with just as much authority as anyone else. These small victories matter.
These platforms have also enabled users to link local issues with international concerns to give them global currency and legitimacy. In Kenya for example, an anti-rape campaign which coalesced around #JusticeForKemunto could be seamlessly linked to the [#MeToo movement], a similar rebuke and articulation of anger against sexual violence against women.
Government control The shift from legacy media has not been accidental. A number of African governments still exert enormous control over the media sector. The is because the state remains the single largest advertiser in the media in sub-Saharan Africa, and so can influence coverage and content.
In some countries, presidents and high-level politicians even own media houses.
This is why the digital space is so important. The emergence of a relatively new structure of communication - which is amorphous, unrestrained, and largely unaffected by state control - has meant there are new ways of holding governments to account.
But their popularity has drawn negative reactions from some governments.
Cracking down Some are now employing digitally savvy state operatives to counter opposition discourses online.
Others have gone further by enforcing regulations to control online discourse through punitive laws and taxation.
In Tanzania for example, digital content producers - including bloggers - are required to get yearly licences which cost $900 dollars. In Uganda, data bundles are now much more expensive with a $0.05 levy charged per day. And Zambia plans to introduce similar measures.
Other countries have been a lot more brazen in their efforts to clamp down on free online speech. Cameroon, Egypt, and Ethiopia, for example, have regularly shut down the internet. Users considered too critical of the government are routinely arrested, threatened or even jailed.
Fake news This is not to say that new media platforms are entirely without problems. Social media has been used to create and disseminate fake news. This has contributed to a dangerous regime of misinformation that has undermined democratic processes in a number of African countries.
This was the case during Kenya's 2017 general elections when the ruling Jubilee party employed Cambridge Analytica, a UK-based public relations company, to boost its electoral prospects. The company was later accused of populating social media and using bots to create and circulate fake news.
Similarly, in South Africa, both the ruling African National Congress and the opposition Democratic Alliance were reported to have used social media to spread fake news to besmirch opponents during municipal elections.
These trends reflect the fact that fake news, misinformation and disinformation have infected the continent's body politic, which is a dangerous development.
Future threats It's however safe to say that new media platforms are now firmly part of Africa's public culture and any attempt to stop, frustrate or undermine their significance in public life is bound to fail.
However, the creative use to which they are put must be constructive and progressive. For example, in countries where collective political organisation and expression is increasingly being undermined by the state - such as Tanzania - instances of self-expression through new media form important pockets of resistance. These pockets, when viewed collectively, can help focus attention on state repression and excesses.
Originally published by George Ogola on The Conversation.
Tags: Africatechnology
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
18/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/08/2026
Triveni Digital Now Offers a Joint Solution With MediaKind and a Lab System Bundle Supporting ISDB-Tb and TV 3.0 Broadcast Services
Triveni Digital, a trusted ...
18/08/2026
At IBC2026, BeckTV, a premier systems integrator for the broadcast industry, will introduce BeckFlow to the European market. BeckFlow is the first web-based sch...
18/08/2026
New flagship PTZ camera combines cinematic 4K imaging, professional broadcast connectivity and the complete Horizon intelligent video experience for productions...
18/08/2026
At IBC2026, VisualOn will demonstrate how video service providers can slash bandwidth costs, maximize ad revenue, and deploy premium interactive features withou...
18/08/2026
The relationships built during graduate school often continue to shape careers long after a degree is earned, creating a community of scientists who learn from ...
17/08/2026
Producer William Forbes and director Andrew Schwartz detail the decade-long effo...
17/08/2026
New MIDI processor & macro controller revealed
SHIK have announced that they have opened pre-orders for the S32, a standalone MIDI processor and macro contr...
17/08/2026
Cover extended on innovative motorised pot system
Melbourne Instruments have just revealed that the innovative motorised pot system used in their synths and...
17/08/2026
Latest firmware version now available
1010music have just released a free firmware update that brings some nice new features to their renowned Bluebox digit...
17/08/2026
Rohde & Schwarz showcases integrated defense and test solutions at DALO Industry...
17/08/2026
Calrec's ImPulseV Virtualised Audio Mixing Engine joins NEP Platform, the industry's largest ecosystem of trusted production software, bringing scalable...
17/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
17/08/2026
Continuing its virtualisation strategy, Calrec has integrated its ImPulseV virtualised DSP software with NEP Platform, bringing its scalable audio processing ca...
17/08/2026
Mediaproxy, the global standard for software-based IP compliance monitoring and multiviewing solutions, will highlight major innovations in compliance monitorin...
17/08/2026
Visitors to IBC 2026 will see how FilmLight is reshaping the modern post pipelin...
17/08/2026
Visitors to Stand 1.C41 can explore innovations in areas such as addressable advertising, hybrid distribution, managed services and operational simplification.
...
16/08/2026
Virtual drummer joins line-up
The latest release from Gospel Musicians adds a virtual drummer to the company's line-up, combining a pair of meticulously...
15/08/2026
In-ear monitoring line-up gains new universal models
In-ear monitoring experts JH Audio have just announced a significant expansion of their Universal-Fit r...
15/08/2026
14 August 2026 | Johannesburg - The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), a...
15/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
15/08/2026
Add rounded corners to mask in After Effects
Graham Quince August 14, 2026
0 Comments
Ever wished you could smoothly round the corners of a Mask Path ...
15/08/2026
Director Go Riju's Rhapsody Rhapsody Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 6K
Brie Clayton August 14, 2026
0 Comments
Anamorphic cinematography and color gradi...
14/08/2026
AT&T returns as a sponsor of the DirtFish Women in Motorsport (WiM) Summit, which marks its fifth year Aug. 21-22 in Snoqualmie, WA. This year's event will ...
14/08/2026
A six-camera flypack production will anchor Sunday's game while Perfect Game...
14/08/2026
Latest instalment delivers disco-inspired grooves
The latest addition to UJAM's virtual drum line-up has been designed with contemporary pop, disco, dan...
14/08/2026
Elite range gains giant 24-inch powered sub
The latest expansion of Yorkville's Elite range introduces what the company say is the world's first act...
14/08/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Ar...
14/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/08/2026
Leading Brazilian Broadcaster Will Use Triveni Digital's TV 3.0 Broadcast Chain and Service Quality Assurance Solutions to Support Next-Generation Televisio...
14/08/2026
Beam Dynamics will make its IBC debut this September, marking a major step in the company's growth. Beam helps broadcast, live production and professional A...
14/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
14/08/2026
amaran, pioneer of lighting tools for creators, today announced the amaran Mic, a 99 wireless desktop microphone that brings the brand into audio for creators ...
14/08/2026
Creative COW Roundtable: Introduction to the New After Effects Assistant - AEAI
Brie Clayton August 13, 2026
0 Comments
On August 23, 2026 at 9am PDT/...
14/08/2026
Life on Waves Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton August 13, 2026
0 Comments
Collaborative editing and color grading workflow supported by...
14/08/2026
Why Bulletproof Video Project Archiving Is Non-Negotiable
John Carboni August 13, 2026
0 Comments
In video production, the work is far from over when ...