Social Media and Politics in Africa: Democracy, Censorship and Security

Front Cover
Praise
Half Title
About the Editor
Title Page
Copyright
Contents
List of illustrations
List of contributors
Acknowledgements
1: Mapping the study of politics and social media use in Africa
	Social media in Africa: disparities in use
	Researching social media in Africa
	Democracy and social media
	Security, surveillance and social media
	Note
	References
2: ‘“Igu sawir” gone too far?’ Social media and state
reconstruction in Somalia
	Introduction
	Social media scholarship and Somalia
	Conflict and communications technology in Somalia
	The securitisation of media
	The state, social media and ‘Somalia rising’ (again)
	Conclusion
	Notes
	References
3: ‘We are not just voters, we are citizens’: social media,
the #ThisFlag campaign and insurgent citizenship
in Zimbabwe
	Introduction
	Social media and politics: theoretical reflections
	Methodology
	The emergence of the #ThisFlag campaign
	‘Logging citizens back on to politics’:11 #ThisFlag protest actions
	#ThisFlag campaign and the emergent digital spaces of contention
	Between possibility and constraint: digital media and Zimbabwean politics
	Conclusion
	Notes
	References
4: Social media and protest movements in South Africa:
#FeesMustFall and #ZumaMustFall
	Introduction
	The South African context
	Methodology
	Fees Must Fall: #FMF and networked collective action
	#ZumaMustFall protest campaign
	Conclusion
	Notes
	References
5: Enemy collaborators: social imaginaries, global
frictions and a gay rights music video in Kenya
	Introduction
	Social imaginaries and global frictions
	Cultural producers and their social imaginaries
	Enemy collaborators
	Conclusion
	Note
	References
6: Between excitement and scepticism: the role of
WhatsApp in Sierra Leone’s 2018 elections
	Introduction
	Researching social media in Sierra Leone
	Elections and social media use
	Political parties and campaigning on social media
	Party supporters on social media
	Activism and education
	Fake news and wariness of social media
	Donor interest and engagement
	Conclusion
	Notes
	References
7: Chaos and comedy: social media, activism and
democracy in Senegal
	Introduction
	Chapter layout
	Social media and the election: introducing Africtivistes and Papa Ismaila Dieng
	Campaign publicity: posters, billboards, and mockery
	#TuVotesAvecQuoi: talking back to the state
	The elections: chaos, comedy, social media activists taking charge
	Conclusion
	References
8: Social media and elections in Nigeria: digital influence on election observation, campaigns and administration
	Introduction
	A brief review of elections in Nigeria
	The social media landscape in Nigeria
	Political effects of social media
	Use of social media in Nigerian elections
	Conclusion
	Notes
	References
9: From FM radio stations to Internet 2.0 overnight:
information, participation and social media in
post-failed coup Burundi
	Introduction
	The forced and rapid re-configuration of media in Burundi
	Towards a less inclusive and less democratic (social) media?
	Filtering information?
	Conclusion
	Notes
	References
10: Cybercrime and the policing of politics in Tanzania
	Introduction
	Policing politics in Tanzania
	Policing politics online
	Challenges of policing social media
	Conclusion
	Notes
	References
	Legislation cited
11: A familiar refrain: political discourse and Facebook
use in Mombasa, Kenya
	Introduction
	Reframing debate away from questions of access and participation
	Dominant refrains in political discourse in Mombasa
	Facebook as a space for public debate
	Information flows in mainstream media
	The image of the attentive politician on Facebook
	Citizen journalism on Facebook
	Open public discussion and the Facebook group
	Conclusion
	Notes
	References
12: Inside the #OperationUsalamaWatch echo chamber:
Twitter as site of disruption or elite conversation?
	Introduction
	Control and co-option: the intertwined interests of government and media houses in Kenya
	Social media: democratic platform or elite echo chamber?
	Kenya’s ‘war on terror’ and Operation Usalama Watch
	Contesting narratives of Kenya’s ‘war on terror’ in print media
	The role of elites in framing news coverage and shaping print media debate
	Similar stories, similar voices: Twitter responds to Operation Usalama Watch
	Conclusion
	Note
	References
13: From whispers to the assemblage: surveillance
in post-independence East Africa
	Introduction
	(Dis)Continuities of surveillance in East Africa: an overview
	Tracking surveillance in East Africa
	Surveillance: the East African experiences
	Conclusion
	Notes
	References
Postscript: research trajectories in African
digital spheres
	The future of social media research in Africa
	The importance of this book
	References
Index