In an era when hashtag campaigns like #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter capture global attention for victims of injustice, politicians and corporations are now spending billions employing Cambridge Analytica-type consultancies to manufacture disinformation - employing trolls, cyborgs and bots to disrupt dialogue and drown-out dissent. In the first study of its kind, this open-access book presents a range of case studies of these emerging dynamics across Africa, mapping and analyzing disinformation operations in ten different countries, and using innovative techniques to determine who is producing and coordinating these increasingly sophisticated disinformation machines.
Drawing on scholars from across the continent, case studies document the actors and mechanisms used to profile citizens, manipulate beliefs and behaviour, and close the political space for democratic dialogue and policy debate. Chapters include examinations of how the Nigerian government deployed disinformation when the #EndSARS campaign focused attention on police brutality and corruption; insights into how pro-government actors responded to the viral #ZimbabweanLivesMatter campaign; and how misogynists mobilized against the #AmINext campaign against gender-based violence in South Africa.
Through the documentation of episodes of unruly politics in digital spaces, these studies provide a valuable assessment of the implications of these dynamics for digital rights, moving beyond a focus on elaborations of the idea of 'fake news', and providing actionable recommendations in the areas of policy, legislation and practice.
The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com.
Recenzijos
In a field horribly skewed towards research focused on the US, this edited collection answers the urgent need for more analysis of the local and specific complexities of disinformation. This is a must-read for every researcher, practitioner, and policy maker thinking about the impacts of disinformation globally. * Claire Wardle, Brown University, USA * Digital Disinformation in Africa is a timely and necessary contribution to the growing body of literature on digital politics in Africa. It offers a nuanced understanding of how disinformation is reshaping public discourse and electoral processes, while also showcasing the resilience of African citizens in pushing back against propaganda. The book is an essential resource for scholars, journalists, and policymakers. * African Studies Quarterly *
Daugiau informacijos
Provides insight into citizens digital protest in ten African countries and the repressive response of pro-government digital disinformation machines designed to disrupt democratic debate and drown-out dissent.
1. Digital Disinformation in Africa: A Critical Approach
Tony Roberts and George Hamandishe Karekwaivanane
2. Digital Gendered Disinformation and Womens Civic Participation in Africa
Nkem Agunwa
3. Disinformation on a Shoestring: Examining the Anatomy and Strategies of
the Pro-State Network in the Zimbabwean Twitterverse
George Hamandishe Karekwaivanane
4. Disinformation, Social Media Networks and Terrorism in Mozambique:
Narratives, Strategies and Practices
Dércio Tsandzana
5. On Selfies and Hashtags: Disinformation during Armed Conflict in
Ethiopia
Yohannes Eneyew Ayalew and Atnaf Berhane Ayalew
6. (Re)Writing History: Discursive Practices of Gukurahundi Disinformation
on Twitter
Rutendo Chabikwa
7. Are Claims of Russian Disinformation in Africa Founded? Elections in
Zimbabwe, South Africa, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
SeYoung Jeon
8. Digital Disinformation in Cameroon's 2018 Presidential Election
Simone Toussi
9. Disinformation in Ugandas 2021 Elections
Juliet Nanfuka
10. Online Disinformation and Memefication in Angolas 2022 election
Edmilson Angelo
15. "Anyone can be a mercenary: Disinformation and Kenyan News Media in
the 2022 General Election
Wambui Wamunyu
Bibliography
Index
George Karekwaivanane is a Lecturer in African Studies at the University of Edinburgh, UK. His publications include The Struggle over Power in Zimbabwe: Law and Politics since 1950, along with three other edited collections.
Tony Roberts is a Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) at the University of Sussex, UK. A digital development practitioner since 1988, he founded and led two international development agencies including Computer Aid International. He is currently the Principal Investigator on the GCRF-UKRI-funded African Digital Rights Network.
