A Quiet Media Revolution?A Quiet Media Revolution?- Mediatisation, altered media geographies and - Mediatisation, altered media geographies and

insurgent citizen tacticsinsurgent citizen tactics

Thomas Tufte,Thomas Tufte,Roskilde University, DenmarkRoskilde University, Denmark

Presentation given at Centre of Governance and Human Presentation given at Centre of Governance and Human Rights, University of CambridgeRights, University of Cambridge

19 October 201119 October 2011

Media Content, Technology, AudienceMedia Content, Technology, Audience

Changing dynamics and relationsChanging dynamics and relations

Public connection, public sphere Public connection, public sphere engagement, citizen journalism, engagement, citizen journalism, participatory journalism, citizen media, participatory journalism, citizen media, civic engagementcivic engagement

Media development + civil society Media development + civil society development: development: civil-society driven civil-society driven media platformsmedia platforms

Civil Society-driven Media PlatformsCivil Society-driven Media Platforms

Altering relations between decision-Altering relations between decision-makers and citizens?makers and citizens?

Leading to new spaces of deliberation and Leading to new spaces of deliberation and public debate, critique and civic action?public debate, critique and civic action?

Unpacking the processes of empowerment Unpacking the processes of empowerment and citizen participation?and citizen participation?

Communication, Citizenship and Communication, Citizenship and Social ChangeSocial Change

Co-evolutionCo-evolution of new and old media of new and old media

CitizenshipCitizenship: a social practice grounded in : a social practice grounded in everyday lifeeveryday life

Civic actionCivic action: active manifestation of : active manifestation of citizens as claimants of developmentcitizens as claimants of development

Citizens as media producers, citizen Citizens as media producers, citizen journalists, bloggersjournalists, bloggers

Communication PowerCommunication Power

‘‘in a world marked by the rise of mass self-in a world marked by the rise of mass self-communication, communication, social movements social movements and and insurgent politics have a the chance to insurgent politics have a the chance to enter the enter the public spacepublic space from multiple sources. By using from multiple sources. By using both both horizontal communication networks horizontal communication networks and and mainstream media to convey their images and mainstream media to convey their images and messages, they increase their chances of messages, they increase their chances of enacting social and political change enacting social and political change – even if – even if they start from a subordinate position in they start from a subordinate position in institutional power, financial resources, or institutional power, financial resources, or symbolic legitimacy’symbolic legitimacy’ (Castells 2009. 302) (Castells 2009. 302)

Civil society-driven Civil society-driven media platformsmedia platforms

How civil society-driven media and How civil society-driven media and communication initiatives can communication initiatives can enhance processes of empowerment enhance processes of empowerment and ultimately good governanceand ultimately good governance

Key Change AgentsKey Change Agents

Civil societyCivil society – gaining visibilty, articulating – gaining visibilty, articulating change and obtaining political influencechange and obtaining political influence

CitizensCitizens – (dis)connections with orgs and – (dis)connections with orgs and movementsmovements

Government, decision-makersGovernment, decision-makers: good : good governance, accountability, transparencygovernance, accountability, transparency

Civil society-driven media platforms: Civil society-driven media platforms: new new formso of content productionformso of content production

People Speaking Back?People Speaking Back?Media, Empowerment and Democrac in East Africa (MEDIeA)Media, Empowerment and Democrac in East Africa (MEDIeA)

Democratic development: multi-party Democratic development: multi-party system, civil society development, free system, civil society development, free mediamedia

3 % internet access3 % internet access 45% mobile phone access45% mobile phone access 6% economic growth pr year 6% economic growth pr year 6.2% HIV prevalence6.2% HIV prevalence Young marginalized women: lack voice in Young marginalized women: lack voice in

public lifepublic life

Introducing Femina HIPIntroducing Femina HIP Tanzanian NGO, 1999-Tanzanian NGO, 1999-

Largest print media Largest print media producer in Tanzaniaproducer in Tanzania

Many donors on board, but Many donors on board, but is a ’homegrown’ is a ’homegrown’ organisationorganisation

Entertainment-education Entertainment-education through real life storiesthrough real life stories

Multi-media platformMulti-media platform

FEMAFEMA

FEMA. A glossy FEMA. A glossy magazine, 64 pages, magazine, 64 pages, 170.000 copies170.000 copies

Published 4 x a year. Published 4 x a year. Targets youth aged Targets youth aged 15-24 especially 15-24 especially secondary school secondary school students in every students in every region of the countryregion of the country

SiMchezoSiMchezo

Si Mchezo! 32 Si Mchezo! 32 pages, 175.000 pages, 175.000 copies. copies.

6 x a year. Targets 6 x a year. Targets out of school youth out of school youth and their and their communities communities particularly in rural particularly in rural areas. areas.

Multi Media PlatformMulti Media Platform Pilika PilikaPilika Pilika. A radio soap . A radio soap

opera. 4 x week.opera. 4 x week.

FEMA Tv Talk Show.FEMA Tv Talk Show. Half ½ Half ½ hour talk show, national TV 4 hour talk show, national TV 4 times a week. times a week.

ChezaSalama ChezaSalama (‘play safe’). (‘play safe’). Interactive website. First of its Interactive website. First of its kind in Tanzania.kind in Tanzania.

5-600 Femina Clubs 5-600 Femina Clubs in in schools and communitiesschools and communities

Community outreach Community outreach programmeprogramme

Femina HIP ObjectivesFemina HIP Objectives

To build supportive To build supportive environments environments in in Tanzania where:Tanzania where:

Young people in their Young people in their communities enjoy their communities enjoy their right to access information right to access information & services and are & services and are empowered to make empowered to make positive informed choices positive informed choices around sexuality and lead around sexuality and lead healthy lifestyles in order healthy lifestyles in order to reduce the negative to reduce the negative impact of HIV/AIDS.impact of HIV/AIDS.

Femina HIP ObjectivesFemina HIP Objectives

To build supportive To build supportive environments environments in in Tanzania where:Tanzania where:

Communities exercise Communities exercise their right to express their right to express themselves, themselves, participate in public participate in public debate & engage in debate & engage in civil society. (Femina civil society. (Femina HIP Logical HIP Logical Framework, 2007)Framework, 2007)

OutcomesOutcomes Continuity sustains Continuity sustains

engagementengagement Community Community

mobilization enables mobilization enables engagementengagement

Young people engage Young people engage in journalistic practicein journalistic practice

Sparks motivation and Sparks motivation and self-confidenceself-confidence

New public spheres New public spheres emergeemerge

Embryonic civil societyEmbryonic civil society

ChallengesChallenges

Upward Upward Accountability:Accountability:– Gaining political Gaining political

cloutclout– Balancing social Balancing social

critique and critique and political political influenceinfluence

Downward Downward accountabilityaccountability– Balancing a Balancing a

mass vehicle for mass vehicle for millions of millions of audiences with audiences with space for space for personal personal engagmentengagment

Disjunctions of CitizenshipDisjunctions of Citizenship

Global discourse (democracy, good Global discourse (democracy, good governance, citizenship)governance, citizenship)

Local realities: poverty, lack of media Local realities: poverty, lack of media access, other priorities…access, other priorities…

MediápolisMediápolis- altered media geographies and mediatization of society- altered media geographies and mediatization of society

A new theory of the public sphereA new theory of the public sphere Mediatisation of society as a basic Mediatisation of society as a basic

premise for citizenship and premise for citizenship and democractic developmentdemocractic development

MediápolisMediápolis- a mediated space of appearance- a mediated space of appearance

The polis, properly speaking, is not The polis, properly speaking, is not the city-state in its physical location: the city-state in its physical location: it is it is the organisation of the the organisation of the people as it arises out of acting people as it arises out of acting and speaking togetherand speaking together, and its , and its true space lies between people living true space lies between people living together for this purpose, no matter together for this purpose, no matter where they happen to be… (Arendt where they happen to be… (Arendt 1958; 198)1958; 198)

Why voice mattersWhy voice matters- the role of media and technology in carving out space- the role of media and technology in carving out space

Allowing voice in public for a vastly Allowing voice in public for a vastly increased range of peopleincreased range of people

A greatly increased mutual awareness of A greatly increased mutual awareness of these new voicesthese new voices

New scales of organisationNew scales of organisation Understanding what spaces are required Understanding what spaces are required

for political organizationfor political organization New forms of listening New forms of listening

Citizen TacticsCitizen Tactics

Efforts made by ordinary peple to Efforts made by ordinary peple to create spaces for themselves, create spaces for themselves, overcoming power structures to overcoming power structures to which they are subjectedwhich they are subjected

Citizen MediaCitizen Media

The term ’citizens media’ implies, first, that a The term ’citizens media’ implies, first, that a collectivity is enacting its citizenship by collectivity is enacting its citizenship by actively actively intervening and transforming the intervening and transforming the established mediascapeestablished mediascape: second, that these : second, that these media are media are contesting social codes, contesting social codes, legitimized identities and institutionalized legitimized identities and institutionalized social relationssocial relations: and third, that these : and third, that these communication practices are communication practices are empowering the empowering the community involvedcommunity involved, to the point where these , to the point where these transformations and chages are possible transformations and chages are possible (Rodriguez 2001/2006: 774)(Rodriguez 2001/2006: 774)