Racism, Ethnicity and the Media in Africa ─ Mediating Conflict in the Twenty-First Century

Since the colonial era in Africa, racism and ethnicity have largely led to serious conflicts – the Nigerian-Biafran War, killings in Darfur, xenophobic attacks in South Africa - that have cost lives and undermined efforts to achieve national cohesion and meaningful development on the continent. This book sets about rethinking the role of media and communication in perpetuating, reinforcing and undermining racism, ethnicity and other discriminations across Africa. It goes beyond customary discussions of representation of racism and ethnicity to question the role played by specific media institutions. Topics and issues covered include racism in South African newspapers, pluralist media in Kenya, media discourses on homosexuality in Namibia, and the politics of 'African News' in Nigerian newspapers.

Winston Mano is Director of the Africa Media Centre, University of Westminster, UK. He is also Principal Editor of the Journal of African Media Studies. He is the author of African National Radio and Everyday Life: The Impact of Radio in the Digital Age (forthcoming from I.B. Tauris) and is editor of The Media and Zimbabwe (2005).