Mass Media and Politics in Africa: A Qualitative Appraisal

This chapter aims at understanding the roles of media and politics in Africa, how media promote politics in Africa, and the challenges this presents in African states that have either full democracies, flawed democracies, hybrid regimes, or authoritarian regimes. It utilizes the development media theory to highlight the role of the media in championing politics in Africa. The chapter assesses the Bertelsmann Transformation Index and the World Press Freedom Index of the ten stable or flawed democracies in Africa (Mauritius, Botswana, Cape Verde, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Namibia, South Africa, and Benin) and finds that Namibia and Mauritius are ranked highest for the media’s relationship with the country’s political structure. The chapter shows that while the repression of the mass media is a challenge in promoting politics in Africa, its principal role as regards politics is consolidating democracy. Meanwhile the internet and social media have new roles in liberalizing freedom of speech. The chapter recommends that all repressive legislation against freedom of expression, especially for journalists, should align with Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights; media houses in Africa should ride on the principles of the development media theory; mass media in Africa should take advantage of the opportunities of new media in promoting the politics of their nations; and international aid agencies should assist media outlets, particularly in hybrid regimes or authoritarian regimes, to overcome their challenges and ensure they effectively play their roles in promoting politics in Africa.