Can it tweet its way to democracy?

Report

This report explores the changing ways in which citizens are chipping away the power of authoritarian regimes in Africa, including Egypt, through the use of online participatory media. It argues that African online media are still the preserve of the continent’s elite. The internet enables these elite users to develop democratic social practices and information discourse. It does so by reducing government control of information and enhancing political participation. As the case studies show, ...

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Authors: Megenta, A

• Alternative title: The promise of particpatory media in Africa
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Not peer reviewed
• Publisher: Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford Publisher's website
• Series: RISJ Reports
• Place of publication: http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/publications/risj-reports.html
• Publication date: 2011-01-01
• Language: English
• Keywords: authoritarian regimes; participatory media; African politics; twitter revolution; social media
• Subjects: Internet and governance and democracy; Internet and everyday life; News media,journalism,publishing; Africa