Browsing by Author "Chibita, Monica B."

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Indigenous Language Media and Freedom of Expression in Uganda
    (Palgrave Macmillan, London., 2016) Chibita, Monica B.
    Since the liberation of Uganda’s broadcast media sector two decades ago, the sector has seen considerable growth. The number of channels has multiplied and the programming menu has taken on a more global and commercial(ized) character as local media houses have had to compete for audiences with regional and global media. At the same time, there has been significant growth in the volume of programming in the indigenous languages across the broadcast spectrum as most media owners acknowledge the need to be relevant to local audiences. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), and particularly the mobile phone, have flourished, notwithstanding persistent urban-rural disparities in access. In this context, it is pertinent to evaluate the performance of the electronic media in enhancing freedom of expression.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Introduction: Language, Structure and Agency: Optimising Media Diversity in Africa Using the Indigenous Languages
    (Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2016) Chibita, Monica B.; Salawu, Abiodun
    Language plays a crucial role in the media as a key public domain, to the extent that the languages people use in the media determine their chances of getting heard. However, there are numerous forces determining which languages are used in the public domain and the hierarchy of their deployment. This point has been debated extensively in the literature of language ideology. In her seminal work in this area, Woolard (1992, pp. 235–236), for instance, suggests that to the extent that language is the vehicle of large proportions of media content, it is linked to expression and to power. According to Woolard, “language stands in dialectical relation with, and thus significantly influences, social, discursive and linguistic practices”. There also exists a dialectical relationship between language attitudes and the roles different languages are assigned in the public domain. Because of the important role of language, this relationship constitutes an important issue for discussion in the context of the media’s role in inclusion and exclusion and in the overall democratisation project in Africa. Political economy scholars have for over two decades made the same point about the relationship/s between language, diversity, expression and democracy (see, for instance Golding and Murdock 1991; Goldsmith Media Group 2000; Gurevitch 2000; McChesney 2000; Bagdikian 2014).
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The Politics Of Broadcasting, Language Policy And Democracy In Uganda
    (Journal of African Media Studies, 2009) Chibita, Monica B.
    This article examines the interweaving between socio-political history, broadcast policy and regulation, and political participation. Although the article primarily discusses the Ugandan situation, it draws conclusions that could be helpful in examining similar situations in Africa and in other parts of the world. The research was conducted in Uganda in three phases over three years (2003–2006) and additional research was conducted between 2007 and 2008.1 The first phase of the research constituted a socio-historical analysis of Uganda’s media and politics. The second phase focused on the language debate in Uganda and the final phase sought to interpret the Ugandan language debate in light of the findings from the socio-historical analysis. The article is conceived within a critical media studies framework and the methodology is inspired by J.B. Thompson’s (1990) depth hermeneutics. The study employed qualitative interviews and an analysis of media, communication and education policy documents and other archival sources to elicit information at various levels on indigenous language broadcasting policy in Uganda. Placing the debate on indigenous language policy in historical context made it possible to critically examine the relationship between language policy and political participation in Uganda. The article concludes that effective future policy and regulation must strike a balance between the priorities of government, media proprietors and audiences. It must also take cognizance of current commercial realities, while being sensitive to the socio-historical factors that determine attitudes towards the use of specific languages in the media.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Ugandan Radio As A Political Space And The Regulation Thereof
    (In Election Processes, Liberation Movements and Democratic Change in Africa Conference, Maputo, Mozambique, 2010) Chibita, Monica B.
    The potential of radio as a political space is probably no longer debatable. Radio in sub-Saharan Africa has over the last two decades been dubbed the people’s medium (van de Veur 2002, Bourgault 1995, Daloz and Verrier-Frechette 2000, Mwesige 2009). The power of radio in Africa in particular comes from the relatively to extremely low literacy rates in most sub-Saharan countries, most print media still being published in the colonial languages and television in most parts of Africa remaining an urban, elite entertainment medium. Radio is relatively affordable, requires no literacy to listen to and transcends the most formidable language barriers. Because of all this, radio has been ideal for enabling the majority rural populations in Africa to participate in public debate on matters relating to their governance.