Compiled by Elva Nziza, for AJENda and Afromedia.network
We present a short selection of publications of interest to the African communications and media studies research community.
Editors: Manfred A.K. Asuman, Theodora Adjin-Tettey and Modestus Fosu
This insightful volume brings together leading Africa-focused scholars to explore the deep connections between communication, media, culture, and social change across the continent. Communication and Social Change in Africa: Selected Case Studies presents thirteen compelling case studies that highlight both the challenges and successes of communication-driven transformations in various African societies.
With a grassroots perspective, the book offers valuable lessons for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to understand Africa’s evolving media landscape. A must-read for students and researchers, this book provides a rich and diverse analysis of how communication shapes development and cultural dynamics across the continent.
Author: Eliza Govender
In her latest article, Eliza Govender challenges traditional health communication models, calling for a shift toward community-driven solutions. Published in Social Sciences, her study explores how public health and communication for development and social change (CDSC) intersect to create sustainable, people-centered approaches.
Govender introduces the concept of Communicating for Health-as-Development (C4HD)—a framework that views health not just as a medical issue, but as a development challenge. Instead of relying solely on data-driven policies, C4HD emphasizes community engagement, local decision-making, and collaborative efforts to address health crises like HIV and COVID-19.
Key Takeaways from the Study:
✔ Empowering communities to take an active role in health decisions
✔ Recognizing local agency in responding to health crises
✔ Encouraging partnerships between public health and development sectors.
Govender’s research reminds us that top-down health policies may not suffice—real change happens when communities take ownership of their health. This fresh perspective is a must-read for researchers, policymakers, and communicators working in public health and social change.
Editors: Elizabeth Lubinga Konosoang and Sobane Karabo Sitto
Health communication as a powerful tool for individual and societal wellbeing is relevant in Africa where disparities in healthcare access, infrastructure and systematic complexities abound. All these vulnerabilities, as well as the continent’s multilingual and low-literacy landscape, create a multiplex context that calls for a focus on strengthening health communication systems as components of a preventive and mitigating care process. Furthermore, it has become necessary to spotlight latent opportunities of the continent’s use of digital technologies for innovative healthcare systems, while integrating indigenous and contemporary knowledge systems to provide contextualized and culturally sensitive information.
This book brings together diverse scholarly contributions on health communication from different sub-Saharan African countries, problematizing and addressing different aspects of health, such as crisis communication, digitalization of health in Africa, and indigenous knowledge systems in interpersonal communication contexts of healthcare. Additionally, the Whole of Society (WoS) and other theoretical approaches are proposed and interrogated to guide health communication research within the region. From a global South point of view, multilingualism, indigenous platforms and decoloniality contribute to effective health communication in the sub-Saharan context, especially among vulnerable and marginalized populations.
The content of the book will be of interest to health communication scholars, students of communication, policymakers, Governments in Africa and international organizations like United Nations, African Union and the World Health Organization. It is an indispensable tool for communicating health in Africa.
Editors: Martin Echeverria, Sara Garcia Santamaria and Daniel C. Hallin
In an era where disinformation is shaping political discourse and public opinion, this new book offers a critical and global perspective on the role of state institutions in orchestrating misinformation campaigns. This volume, featuring an international team of scholars, examines how governments, political parties, and politicians strategically deploy disinformation to influence narratives and consolidate power.
Spanning 14 countries across Western and Eastern Europe, North and Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, the book explores how different political landscapes either fuel or mitigate disinformation efforts. Divided into three sections, it categorizes case studies based on democratic, non-democratic, and transitional regimes, offering a comparative analysis of state-sponsored tactics and their societal impacts.
By advancing the field of misinformation and disinformation studies, the book provides a comprehensive resource for scholars, journalists, and students of media, communication, political science, and international affairs. It is an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the mechanisms and consequences of state-backed disinformation in today’s interconnected world.
Editors: Viola Milton and Winston Mano
The evolving landscape of African media and communication studies has long been shaped by pioneering scholars whose foundational works remain crucial to the discipline. In this groundbreaking volume, Viola Milton and Winston Mano bring together leading thinkers to reflect on the origins, evolution, and global significance of Africanist media scholarship.
Using biographical and life story interviews, this book delves into the intellectual journeys of key scholars, tracing how their ideas and collaborations have shaped the field. It challenges mainstream academic narratives by recovering African-centered conceptual models and highlighting their impact both locally and globally.
By showcasing theoretical models, arguments, and historical moments in the field, this book reaffirms Africa’s intellectual agency in media studies. Whether you are a student, researcher, or media practitioner, African Media and Communication: Foundational Conversations offers a vital reference for understanding the discipline’s past, present, and future.
Authors: Prince Agwu, Chinyere Mbachu and Obinna Onwujekwe
The persistent communication gap between health researchers and policymakers in Nigeria continues to hinder the translation of research evidence into effective policy decisions. This paper presents a compelling argument for the mass media, as a crucial bridge because of its broad reach and ability, to present information in ways that influence both public discourse and policy action.
While research on evidence translation in health policy within Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa remains scarce, this study provides valuable insights into how academia and media can collaborate more effectively. Drawing from discussions at a communications workshop involving 27 participants—health policy researchers and experienced media professionals—the study identifies key barriers to knowledge dissemination and proposes strategies to overcome them.
A major finding is that academic research, even when rigorous and well-published, rarely makes it into public or policy conversations due to restrictive dissemination channels. Applying cultivation theory, the study highlights how media engagement can facilitate community feedback on research findings, secure policymakers’ attention, and even stimulate policy changes. Moreover, through message system analysis, the study emphasizes the need for researchers to adopt deliberate media strategies to maximize the impact of their work.
This research makes a strong case for the media as a powerful agent in strengthening Nigeria’s health system. By showcasing practical approaches for integrating mass media into the evidence translation process, the book offers valuable recommendations for both researchers and media practitioners. And for those interested in health communication, policymaking and media influence, this study provides important takeaways on how strategic media engagement can transform health research into actionable policy outcomes.