commbox Media Landscapes, Information Ecosystems

Television in Africa in the Digital Age

Gilbert Motsaathebe, Sarah H. Chiumbu (eds.)

Cham: Palgrave Macmillan (2021), xxi, 295 pp.

"This book places television in Africa in the digital context. It addresses the onslaught of multimedia platforms, digital migration and implication of this technology for society. The discussions in the chapters contained in this book encompass a wide range of issues such as digital disruption of t ... more

Politique(s) de communication, enjeux et défis de la mondialisation: Reculs et avancées de l'expérience gabonaise

Arthur Félicien Sabi-Djaboudi

Louvain-la-Neuve: L'Harmattan – Academia (2021), 415 pp.

"Les politiques de communication au Gabon se sont construites, depuis l’Indépendance, au travers de multiples tensions entre autocratie et démocratie. Elles ont connu diverses régressions et avancées, tant dans la volonté de promotion du développement que dans le respect des droits et libert ... more

External Link (8)

Information Ecosystem Assessment: Malaysia

Internews (2021), 113 pp.

"The overarching themes identified from the national information ecosystem analysis findings: Lack of basic infrastructure such as electricity cuts and poor/non-existent internet coverage, is a major barrier to accessing information; Pusat Internet 1Malaysia is highly in demand in rural communities; ... more

Google Scholar (8)

Les moyens de communication au Gabon: Mutations sociopolitiques et enjeux de gouvernance

Marcy Delsione Ovoundaga (ed.)

Paris: L'Harmattan (2021), 209 pp.

Google Scholar (8)

Global Journalism: Understanding World Media Systems

Daniela V. Dimitrova (ed.)

Lanham et al.: Rowman & Littlefield (2021), xv, 239 pp.

"[This book] provides an overview of the key issues in global journalism today and traces how media systems have evolved over time in different world regions. Taking into account local context as well as technological change across media industries, the book offers an up-to-date, thorough overview o ... more

External Link (11)

WorldCat (7)

Nigeria: Democratic press, authoritarian government?

Chinyere Stella Okunna, Ngozi Marion Emmanuel, Henry Chigozie Duru

In: The Global Handbook of Media Accountability

Susanne Fengler; Tobias Eberwein; Matthias Karmasin (eds.)

London; New York: Routledge (2021), pp. 324-334

"The Nigerian media scene is notably vibrant, which can be perceived as a democratization of communication and liberalization of the press where anyone with the means to own a media establishment can do so. Thus, the challenge with the Nigerian media is no longer the issue of access but, rather, tha ... more

La confiance en berne: L’information sur la COVID-19 au cœur d’une crise multiple en Centrafrique

Laurette Sokambi de Padou

Arcata, Calif.: Internews (2021), 73 pp.

"Cette évaluation de l’écosystème de l’information vise à établir une compréhension des dynamiques de l’information dans le contexte des populations déplacées dans plusieurs localités du pays : Bangui, Paoua, Bozoum, Berberati, Sibut, Bambari, Ndélé, Kaga-Bandoro et Rafaï. Cette re ... more

Media Viability in Lebanon: Applying DW Akademie’s Media Viability Indicators (MVIs)

Ann Hollifield

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2021), 46 pp.

"The biggest detriments to news media viability in Lebanon include: The political partisanship of the media; A lack of sustainable business models for the media; An oversaturated and hypercompetitive media market resulting in lowered quality of content; Too little competition in the advertisement ma ... more

Three Decades Later: The Media in South East Europe After 1989
Top Insights

Barbara Thomass, Martin Marinos et al.

Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) (2021), iii, 305 pp.

"The book depicts and reflects the media change by concentrating on five main topics: the development of the media market, the relationship between media and politics, the establishment of public broadcasters, the status of the journalistic profession and the role of digitalisation and the internet. ... more

COVID-19 and the Global Media Sector: Developments and Ways Forward

Alexander Matschke, Johanna Mack, Dennis Reineck, Roja Zaitoonie

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2021), 7 pp.

"COVID-19 has taken a heavy toll on freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom. Amidst an ongoing global decline in democratic freedoms, the pandemic has severely affected the work of media outlets and independent journalists. Functioning media are, however, a precondition for r ... more

External Link (8)

Strengthening Public Interest in Ukraine’s Media Sector

Anna Korbut

London: Chatham House, Royal Institute of International Affairs (2021), 37 pp.

"The media environment in Ukraine is complex, diverse and competitive. Most of the country’s outlets are privately owned by high-profile Ukrainians who tend to use them for political influence. However, a small number of media organizations uphold high standards of professionalism and integrity an ... d are vital for shaping domestic political and social debate. These are mostly in print and online but also include some broadcasters, such as Suspilne, and international donor-funded multimedia platforms. Ukraine has a vibrant community of media experts, activists and NGOs that monitor and analyse the sector. These individuals and organizations create development initiatives, advocate reforms and, to a certain extent, perform self-regulatory functions. Platforms for discussions among media professionals are contributing to an evolving industry culture. But they face challenges including limited authority to implement changes; unsustainable funding, often reliant on international donors; and a lack of consensus on ethical and quality standards within the media community. Many outlets provide content for free and domestic audiences are accustomed to this practice. However, there are efforts in Ukraine to encourage consumers to pay for quality content. From early 2020, the biggest media organizations began restricting free access to their output. Meanwhile, smaller independent media are offering subscription and membership models to improve their economic sustainability. The COVID-19 crisis has pushed media organizations to be more proactive in creating business models that do not solely rely on advertising. Ukraine’s media landscape is threatened by the disruption of traditional information delivery methods and consumption patterns; fake news and disinformation; a changing media economy; competition from social media and tech giants; and political turbulence and hostile actors, particularly Russia. Reforms in media regulation – in addition to those in the judiciary and law enforcement agencies – could limit the influence of media owners and protect outlets from political actors determined to attack journalists or manipulate content. Furthermore, support for sustainable revenue models, technological capacity-building and better brand recognition could focus on independent outlets that lack the resources to compete with oligarch-owned media. Improved media literacy efforts are also important for creating long-term audience demand for quality content." (Summary, page 4) more

Google Scholar (6)

WorldCat (6)

L’audiovisuel en Guinée: Contenus et défis

Jaques Lewa Leno

Paris: L'Harmattan (2021), 123 pp.

External Link (10)

Media and Information Landscape in Lebanon

Internews;Maharat Foundation (2021), 59 pp.

"Through a combination of qualitative in-depth interviews with alternative media outlets, quantitative audience surveys involving over 1500 respondents, and focus-group discussions with women and youth civil society actors, this media and information landscape (MILA) evaluates the level of trust tow ... more

The Indian Media Business: Pandemic and After

Vanita Kohli-Khandekar

New Delhi et al.: Sage India, 5th ed. (2021), xxiii, 297 pp.

"The fifth edition [...] cuts across print, TV, film, music, radio and digital media. In the process, the book takes you through the current trends, history, business dynamics and regulation in media, and provides a glimpse into the future of each of these segments." (Back cover)

External Link (18)

Towards Media Systems Framework in Asia Chinese and Korean Media on Framing the Initial COVID-19 Pandemic

Sookyung Cho, Ziyi Wang

International Communication Gazette, volume 83, issue 5 (2021), pp. 183-205

"Due to the relative lack of media comparison studies within Asian contexts, theoretical frameworks based in Western societies have been applied to knowledge production in the global South. Using a ‘most different’ design, this study compares the dimensions of media systems reflected in two Chin ... more

Der Medienmarkt in Polen II

Polen-Analysen, volume 270, issue 15.2.2021 (2021), pp. 2-16

Arab Media Systems
Top Insights

Carola Richter, Claudia Kozman (eds.)

Cambridge: Open Book Publishers (2021), xliv, 345 pp.

"This volume provides a comparative analysis of media systems in the Arab world, based on criteria informed by the historical, political, social, and economic factors influencing a country's media. Reaching beyond classical western media system typologies, Arab Media Systems brings together contribu ... more

External Link (11)

WorldCat (9)

Re-Imagining Communication in Africa and the Caribbean: Global South Issues in Media, Culture and Technology

Hopeton S. Dunn, Dumisani Moyo, William O. Lesitaokana, Shanade Bianca Barnabas (eds.)

Cham: Palgrave Macmillan (2021), xxiii, 381 pp.

"This book advances alternative approaches to understanding media, culture and technology in two vibrant regions of the Global South. Bringing together scholars from Africa and the Caribbean, it traverses the domains of communication theory, digital technology strategy, media practice reforms, and c ... more

Media and Mapping Practices in the Middle East and North Africa: Producing Space

Alena Strohmaier, Angela Krewani (eds.)

Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press (2021), 323 pp.