Exploring Media Education as Civic Praxis in Africa

Authors

  • Fackson Banda

Keywords:

Citizenship, civil society, civic culture, emancipatory journalism, human rights, media education

Abstract

This article argues that African media education must define a pedagogical agenda for citizenship. That task lies in a postcolonial revisionism of liberal modes of thought and practice about media. This neo-colonial dependence of African media education is evident in the pedagogical emphasis on professional- journalistic automation. However, Africans are increasingly becoming politically and civically apathetic. This analysis calls for an emancipatory vision of journalism that is embedded in civil society. It uses a case study of radio listening clubs to illustrate the civic influence of the media in Malawi and Zambia. It concludes by proposing a model of media education for citizenship. The key tenets of the model include enhancing critical analysis of the correlation between media, democracy and development; developing an emancipatory vision of journalism; cultivating an active citizenship; entrenching a viable institutional infrastructure of democracy; and promoting an informed adherence to human rights..

Published

2009-03-01

How to Cite

Banda, F. (2009). Exploring Media Education as Civic Praxis in Africa. Comunicar, 16(32), 167–180. Retrieved from https://revistacomunicar.com/ojs/index.php/comunicar/article/view/C32-2009-20