The role of social media cannot be over emphasized as it has
been defined as a medium creating new set of class of media celebrities,
reports ITRealms.
Social media has been defined as websites and applications
that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social
networking.
The current study released at the weekend by the African
Media Initiative (AMI) noted that social media is responsible for redefining
the role and scope of media in society nowadays.
ITRealms, gathered that the study had described new media
rangers especially bloggers as a new class of media celebrities on the
continent.
“Social media is also responsible for redefining the role
and scope of media in society. Bloggers have become a new class of media
celebrities,” part of the study read.
Additionally, the study suggested that there is very little
cross-border reporting by African media, resulting in limited knowledge of the
continent by Africans, reports ITRealms.
The “Reporting Africa” study made available to ITRealms, points out that most of the
news about Africa comes from sources external to the continent and that these
ultimately determine what has been referred to as “the Africa narrative.”
AMI Chief Executive Officer Roukaya Kasenally in a
pre-launch statement made available to ITRealms, said they had wanted to figure
out how Africa is covered by media on the continent and the factors that
determine such coverage.
She pointed out that they were concerned, “with questions
about how media in Africa contribute to the creation of a common understanding
of the continent’s realities beyond narratives based on preconceived ideas and
stereotypes.”
The report, she said, underscored the fact that global media
organizations constitute a powerful vehicle for not only shaping the global
agenda, but also for framing the lens through which Africa is perceived by
Africans and the world.
Therefore, social media in Africa has become an imperative
part of the media that cannot be ignored, the study emphasized.
Also, ITRealms gathered
that the research sought to figure out what currently prevails and if there are
any compelling dialogues that are reported and can collectively define the
Africa story. It was informed by empirical data gleaned from published reports
from across the region and responses provided by editors to a range of questions
from AMI.
Chuks Egbune/GEE
