Table Of ContentAfrican Language Media
This edited volume considers why the African language press is unstable and what
can be done to develop quality African language journalism into a sustainable
business.
Providing an overview of the African language journalism landscape, this
book examines the challenges of operating sustainable African language media
businesses. The chapters explore the political economy and management of
African language media and consider case studies of the successes and failures
of African language newspapers, as well as the challenges of developing quality
journalism.
Covering print and digital newspapers and broadcast journalism, this book will
be of interest to scholars of media and journalism in Africa.
Abiodun Salawu is Professor of Journalism, Communication and Media
Studies and Director of the research entity Indigenous Language Media in Africa
at North- West University, South Africa.
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For a full list of available titles please visit:
www.routledge.com/ African- Studies/ book- series/ AFRSTUD
African Language Media
Development, Economics and
Management
Edited by Abiodun Salawu
First published 2021
by Routledge
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© 2021 selection and editorial matter, Abiodun Salawu; individual
chapters, the contributors
The right of Abiodun Salawu to be identified as the author of the editorial
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British Library Cataloguing- in- Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978- 0- 367- 40840- 4 (hbk)
ISBN: 978- 1- 003- 00473- 8 (ebk)
Typeset in Baskerville
by Newgen Publishing UK
Indexed by Rita Sephton
Contents
List of figures viii
List of tables ix
List of contributors x
Introduction: towards the development and
sustainability of African language media 1
PART I
Political economy of African language media 13
1 The political economy of indigenous language media in
Nigeria and the challenge of survival in the Digital Age 15
TOYOSI OLUGBENGA SAMSON OWOLABI
2 The politics of language and the underdevelopment of
African language press in Zimbabwe 35
PHILLIP MPOFU
PART II
Mixed bag: failures and successes of African
language newspapers 53
3 In the dead end: the decline of the indigenous language
press in post- colonial Zimbabwe 55
ALLEN MUNORIYARWA
4 Making sense of South African Mmega Dikgang’s transition
from Setswana to English 74
BRIGHT T. MOLALE AND PHILLIP MPOFU
vi Contents
5 The extinction of siSwati- language newspapers in
the Kingdom of Eswatini 90
MAXWELL V. MTHEMBU AND CAROLYNE M. LUNGA
6 Indigenous language newspapers in Zimbabwe:
Kwayedza and Umthunywa and the struggle for survival 105
ALBERT CHIBUWE
7 Indigenous language media and the survival game:
the Alaroye newspaper example from Nigeria 120
OBASANJO JOSEPH OYEDELE AND JENDELE HUNGBO
PART III
Management and sustainability of African
language media 135
8 Reimagining the future of indigenous language
press in the Digital Era 137
KEHINDE OYESOMI, KEVIN ONYENANKEYA AND
OLUWAYEMISI MARY ONYENANKEYA
9 A survey of the management, organisation, structure,
content and columns of the contemporary
Yorùbá newspaper 156
OLUTOLA OSUNNUGA
10 The challenges of sustaining African language newspaper
businesses: the Yorùbá language example from Nigeria 167
CLEMENT ADÉNÍYÍ ÀKÁNGBÉ
PART IV
Towards quality: African language journalism
development 185
11 The significance of African storytelling in journalism 187
WENDPANGA ERIC SEGUEDA AND DAVID ANDERSON HOOKER
12 African language journalism in Ghana and the quest
for quality and sustainable broadcast journalism:
an investigation of Peace FM 204
UFUOMA AKPOJIVI AND MODESTUS FOSU
Contents vii
13 Editorial policies and the isiXhosa language newspapers at
Caxton Media and Independent Media 224
MBUYEKEZO NJEJE AND ALBERT CHIBUWE
PART V
Focus on the broadcast media 241
14 News syndication and local language broadcasting in
South Africa: hegemonic infiltration or hybridity? 243
TENDAI CHARI
PART VI
Borrowing a leaf 265
15 African language newspaper sustainability: lessons to learn
from Asia 267
ABIODUN SALAWU
Index 289
Figures
11.1 Photographs of Gãngãogo, lυnga and bɛndre instruments 194
15.1 Kenyan Media Consumption for February and March 2019 271
Tables
10.1 Contemporary Yorùbá newspapers 172
10.2 Students’ enrolment and performance in WAEC May/ June
SSCE in the Yorùbá language 178
12.1 Profile of the study participants 206
15.1 Quarter 2, 2019: selected South African daily newspapers’
circulation figures 270
15.2 Quarter 2, 2019: selected South African weekly newspapers’
circulation figures 270
15.3 Quarter 2, 2019: selected South African weekly newspapers’
circulation figures 271
15.4 Circulation figures of Indian newspapers, July– December 2016 275
15.5 Circulation figures of Indian newspapers, January– July 2018 276
15.6 List of newspapers in India by readership 277
15.7 List of newspapers in Pakistan 278
15.8 Selected Bengali and English newspapers in Bangladesh 282
