african media and communication: foundational conversations

This book provides an important set of critical reflections from a selection of foundational scholars of African media and communication studies through biographical method. The book interrogates the center of mainstream academic scholarship by providing the foundational history and origins of an Africanist conceptual model while highlighting its significance globally.

The editors use biographical and life story interviews to critically review the respondents’ interpretations of their key works and arguments in relation to key moments in the field, the continent and globally. Though the book is focussed on recovering pioneering arguments by key thinkers in African media and communication, efforts of individual academics are to be understood in the context of their work with others and within institutions that are networked, locally and globally. By bringing together many of the leading figures of African communication and media studies in a single volume, this book provides a critical corrective to the dearth of knowledge and information about who the key thinkers are and what their key arguments, theories and models for media and communication in African contexts entail.

As such, it will be of interest to scholars of media and communications in Africa, and the global south.

viola c milton is a full Professor in media studies in the Department of Communication Science at the University of South Africa. Her research focuses on the negotiation of media policy in South Africa as well as issues of media, citizenship and identity. She is a working group member of the Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS). The Coalition is committed to, and campaigns for, broadcasting in the public interest. In addition, viola runs a project with Dr Winston Mano, that theorises the practice of PSB in the Southern African region from an Africanist perspective. viola authored and co-authored numerous articles and books. She is the Editor-in-chief of Communicatio: South African Journal for Communication Theory and Research.

Winston Mano is a Full Professor and member of the University of Westminster’s top-rated Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI). He is a Course Director for the MA in Media and Development and Founder/Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of African Media Studies. He is the Director of the Africa Media Centre and was co-Director of the Chevening Africa Media Freedom Fellowship programme (2020-2023). Mano has published widely and his research interests span Afrokology, Decoloniality, African radio, music, media audiences, digital communications policy and development, China-African media relations, and African media and democracy. Mano is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.