Media Accountability and Corruption in Africa
Contestations and Controversies
Tendai Chari editor Ufuoma Akpojivi editor
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published:17th Sep '26
Currently unavailable, currently targeted to be due back around 26th November 2026, but could change
Scholarly voices and case studies from 10 sub-Saharan African countries show how media influences governance, accountability, and public perceptions of corruption on the continent.
The question of who watches the watchdog has often been raised, highlighting both the crucial role and the failures of the media in society. This groundbreaking open access edited volume critically examines the complex relationship between media accountability and corruption in Africa. It brings together established and leading African scholars to engage with the multiple ways in which corruption is mediated, resisted, and normalized in both traditional and digital media contexts.
The volume probes not only how media actors report on corruption, but also how institutional vulnerabilities and structural dependencies render them both watchdogs and potential enablers of ‘media corrupt’ practices. Using empirical case studies from seven sub-Saharan African countries: Mozambique, Cameroon, Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, to foreground African epistemologies and experiences, the volume challenges dominant Global North-centric discourse on media corruption and accountability, offering alternative methodological and theoretical readings to the broader debate and discourse on media corruption and accountability.
The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by the Bloomsbury Open Collections Library Collective.
The chapters in this book articulate well a key role of the media act as watchdogs for the public interest especially on corruption and malfeasance in society. Its coverage of media across the African continent illuminates well the dynamics and complexity of pursuing accountability in the Global South. Yet the book is not a rosy eyed view of the media because it raises the question who will watch the watchdogs for their own corruption that betrays the public trust. In this regard it avoids the often simplistic view of the media as the good guys chasing the corrupt bad guys in society. * Tawana Kupe, University of Pretoria, South Africa *
This book addresses significant questions about the media’s role in fulfilling some of its most important functions. By utilizing case studies from prominent scholars across the African continent, the authors shine light on varying forms of corruption in society and in media systems. The book has both breadth and depth, including analysis of 10 nations, but doing so with attention to unique historical, legal and social nuances. This collection makes a crucial contribution to the field and puts the African perspective at the forefront of discussions about media capture, corruption and accountability. * Meghan Cohen, Regis University, USA *
ISBN: 9781350587311
Dimensions: 236mm x 158mm x 20mm
Weight: 580g
280 pages