Africa narrates itself: from the griot to the digital influencer
Africa e Mediterraneo n. 87 (2/17)
In most African countries, the presence of contemporary media – even those which are traditional and made global, interactive and social thanks to web 2.0 – means that today, more than ever, people are both independent producers and users of a narratives on social issues, human relationships, politics, and big issues like poverty, corruption, democracy. The 87th dossier by Africa and the Mediterranean offers a reflection on the modalities and content of the story that Africa recalls of herself and for herself, often offering an original reinterpretation of the new hyperconnecting dynamics of the web, starting from specific and very different local circumstances. ‘Shares’ on social media, characterized by immediacy and interactivity, offer alternative spaces for dialogue, especially when freedom of expression is limited; popular TV series highlight changes in values and lead us to reflect on important social issues; young designers, journalists-rappers and bloggers innovate the communication codes and conquer a transversal public. Between the persistence of traditional media and the bursting of new platforms with various content, this is how the elaboration of narratives and the communication of opinions and information on current events in Africa changes.
SOMMARIO ABSTRACTS
