Ways Forward For Media Development: Toward A De-neocolonization Project

This chapter aims to offer a critical discussion on the topic of ‘media development’ that is per se a neocolonial enterprise intrinsically imbued with international interventions with Western-led ideals of what developing a media sector in a ‘foreign’ country should look like. The way Western media practices are oriented, on many occasions, do not necessarily embrace context sensitivity or take into account modes of media usage in a specific setting where ‘media is supposed to be developed.’ The Western enterprise tends to be accompanied by a blind democratic rhetoric. Such a tale of democratization though does not come without its challenges. In this critical appraisal, some possible ways forward for media development are discussed toward a decolonization project in the African continent. They embrace aspects of context sensitivity, rights-based approaches to information and communication, critical media literacy, and the digital potential amidst the politics of the digital divide.