Theorising Political Communication in Africa

Karam, Beschara

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-62057-2_2

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…However, there is agreement amongst scholars that in the study of African communication in general and political communication in particular, it is imperative to pay attention to context (see Chibuwe, 2013, 2017b; Karam, 2018; Ngomba, 2012). As Ngomba (2012) points out, it is important to adopt context-sensitive theoretical frameworks in studying changes in political communication campaigns in Africa.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is, arguably, due to the fact that the field is still emerging in Africa (cf. Chibuwe, 2013, 2017a, 2017b, 2019a, 2020; Karam, 2018; Karam and Mutsvairo, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…CDA, as both theory and method, is complemented by context-based analysis – which involves analysing and interpreting the advertisements in context. This is because in the analysis of political communication campaigns context matters as it has a bearing on meaning (see Chibuwe, 2017a; Karam, 2018; Ngomba, 2012). As Ngomba (2012: 166) observes, in studying political communication campaigns it is crucial to utilise ‘context-sensitive theoretical frameworks’.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Context matters since ‘political campaign communication is a process that is ‘hardly ever the outcome of solely individual causes’ (Weatherford 1982 as cited by Ngomba, 2012: 166). It also matters especially in the decolonisation of political communication in the global south (see Karam, 2018); it helps researchers glean insights that the ahistorical western theory used in the study of communication, including political communication, in the global south (Chibuwe, 2017a) does not yield.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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‘Repetition without change?’: A critical discourse analysis of selected ZANU-PF advertisements for the July 2013 and July 2018 elections

Chibuwe

Munoriyarwa

2023

Discourse & Communication

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Drawing on Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), and anchored on CDA theory, we argue that as the ruling party’s governance record increasingly came under scrutiny in two election cycles researched, the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), largely maintained its old strategies of power legitimation. However, it altered the message in order to reflect the changing intensity of political contestation, an increasingly bellicose political opposition and growing dissent within its own ranks, as well as the shifting economic fortunes of the country. Forced to campaign under these circumstances, ZANU-PF trusted, with notable variations, its old discourse strategies to produce election advertisements that legitimised its hold on power, hegemony and spread its ideology. The findings show that whereas in July, 2018, the message changed to reflect the leadership change, ZANU-PF’s legitimation strategies remained unchanged. Similarly, we note that whereas the ‘them’ that had to be de-legitimised in 2013 was unequivocally Tsvangirai and the Movement for Democratic Change Tsvangirai (MDC-T), in 2018 ‘them’ not only referred to Nelson Chamisa and MDC Alliance, but it also referred to Mugabe and curiously not ZANU-PF under Mugabe. Including ZANU-PF under Mugabe, we argue, would have also inadvertently de-legitimised both Mnangagwa and ZANU-PF.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is, arguably, due to the fact that the field is still emerging in Africa (cf. Chibuwe, 2013, 2017a, 2017b, 2019a, 2020; Karam, 2018; Karam and Mutsvairo, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%