Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa
Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa facilitates scholarly discussion on communication phenomena in Africa and how these are in conversation with other regions. Communicare is a non-profit, open-access journal, in existence since 1980, published biannually by the School of Communication, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Communicare aims to serve as a point of reference for continental academic debate and geo-specific theorising. It thus invites articles that complement, test, refine or counter global theoretical perspectives by amplifying and consolidating African research and scholarship. The journal publishes original theoretical-conceptual and empirical articles regardless of paradigm, perspective or context and welcomes a wide range of methodological approaches. Communicare publishes original articles in a broad spectrum of communication sub- and related disciplines, including organisational communication, strategic communication, marketing communication, corporate communication, development communication, social change, political communication, gender communication, postcolonial studies, identity politics and politics of everyday life, celebrity studies, visual communication, internet studies, gaming, digital communication, digital media, film studies, media studies, cultural studies, popular culture, and journalism. Communicare also publishes generic (non-region specific) research articles on topics relevant to contemporary scholarly conversations on communication in Africa. Communicare uses a double-blind peer review system and is accredited by the South African Department of Higher Education and Training. Online ISSN 2957-7950 Print ISSN 0259-0069
Licensing information Creative Commons CC Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Public License © Author(s)
Ethnic Stereotypes on South African Black Twitter: A Virtual Ethnographic Study of Zulu, Venda and Pedi Representations
Social media platforms have emerged as dynamic spaces for expressing diverse voices and negotiating identities. Among these platforms, X (formerly Twitter) stands out as a powerful medium where users engage in real-time conversations, shape narratives and participate in discussions on various topics. In the South African context, X has become a significant arena for public discourse, reflecting the complexities of a nation marked by cultural diversity and a history of social stratification. This article examines South African Black Twitter, a distinctive digital subculture that has gained prominence in shaping public opinion and influencing societal conversations. The focus is on critically analysing ethnic stereotypes within this digital space, specifically examining how Zulu, Venda and Pedi ethnicities are represented and stereotyped. While South Africa’s multicultural landscape is celebrated for its diversity, it is not immune to the perpetuation of stereotypes, some of which are expressed on social media platforms such as X. By analysing a series of tweets, memes and graphics interchange formats collected through virtual ethnography, the study elucidates how the understanding and representation of these three ethnic groups in South Africa are embedded with stereotypes.
Copyright (c) 2025 Kealeboga Aiseng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Consuming the Romantic Utopia in Africa through Reality Television: Our Perfect Wedding
Reality television has challenged our understanding of modern life since its rapid rise in the early 2000s. Reality wedding shows, in particular, claim to portray the authentic expression of love shared by the participants. Research within this genre of reality television has mainly focused on audience reception as well as engagement with the content. However, the steady proliferation of reality wedding shows in Africa has gone largely uncritically celebrated as a sign of romantic love on the continent. Through a multimodal critical discourse analysis of episodes from the South African, Kenyan and Nigerian wedding show Our Perfect Wedding, we argue that the production choices of wedding reality shows are not value free but represent a profit logic co-opting of love by consumerist capitalism in order to perpetuate its existence even within non-Western contexts. We borrow from the concepts of conspicuous consumption and utopia to argue that audiences of reality television wedding shows in Africa are invited to consume displays of opulent consumption under the guise of celebrating utopian love.
Copyright (c) 2025 Sifiso Mnisi, Mthobeli Ngcongo https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Internal communication challenges in corporate South Africa after the COVID-19 pandemic
The survival of organisations depends greatly on internal communication, but this function faces seemingly incompatible challenges, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Relatively little has been published on internal communication challenges in emerging economies and specifically in South Africa, with no research on these issues after the pandemic. To fill this gap, this qualitative longitudinal study inductively identifies internal communication challenges in the South African corporate context after the pandemic. Semi-structured interviews with internal communication practitioners at the Top 500 Companies in South Africa and highly recognised internal communication consultants provide the data. From data collected pre-pandemic, 12 challenges that internal communication functions must deal with were identified, which they grouped into four categories: access to technology, lack of formal communication training, parameters for inclusion of internal stakeholders, and management styles and structures. The longitudinal findings of this study show that many of these challenges are still relevant and even worsened, but new themes on internal communication issues emerged after the pandemic, with a specific focus on employee well-being, little credible information, digital imbalance, and future work structure issues. Suggestions are made on how to mitigate these challenges. Contributions include recommendations for practice and further research.
Copyright (c) 2025 Lucinda Bella-May Sutton, Tanya Le Roux https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Evolving Monetary Policy Communication: Evidence from the South African Context
This article reviews changes in communications at the South African Reserve Bank since the adoption of inflation targeting in February 2000. In particular, it examines the shift towards evolving methods of communication by the South African Reserve Bank through the use of new technologies and approaches intended to increase accountability and transparency. The analysis extensively evaluates the South African Reserve Bank’s communication tools and how they affect the effectiveness of monetary policy implementation in the South African context. Notably, this study employs the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level metric to assess the effect of communication readability on domestic inflation expectations. By using readability scores as a proxy for clarity, the research measures the impact that central bank communication standards have on market agents’ inflation expectations and their interpretation of monetary policy. The findings reveal that the South African Reserve Bank’s communication clarity has a significant inverse relationship with South African market participants’ long-run inflation expectations, highlighting the vital role of clear central bank communication in anchoring inflation expectations.
Copyright (c) 2025 Arnold Segawa, Magdalene Kasyoka Wilson, Eric Schaling https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Assessing Indigenous Media Performance in Mobilising Citizens for National Identity Enrolment in Rural Southwest Nigeria
This article investigates the effectiveness of domestic media in mobilising rural citizens towards national identity registration in Nigeria's southwest region, based on Yoruba-language media. Rural involvement has been low, despite the government’s efforts to increase enrolment. A culturally responsive survey was administered to 960 rural participants to measure their involvement with 10 of the most significant indigenous media outlets. Radio broadcasts, banners and interpersonal messages were the most effective ways to communicate the message, with religious and community leaders playing a central role in mobilising citizens. However, these efforts were hindered by systemic challenges such as insufficient registration centres, inconsistent service availability, misinformation and the corrupt monetisation of ostensibly free services. Discussion transcript analysis uncovered ethical concerns in media content, including fear-based tactics, panic-inducing messaging and false information. Contrary to common assumptions, rural citizens did not always fully comprehend their indigenous language, as questionnaire responses revealed discrepancies in understanding, reading and speaking. Expanding grassroots infrastructure, employing culturally appropriate media outlets and developing more partnerships with community leaders to establish credibility are critical to complementing the media in raising enrolment. These findings have the potential to overcome system barriers and incorporate cultural sensitivity into national identity programme planning and execution.
Copyright (c) 2025 Oladokun Omojola https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Community Radio in Efforts to Curb Maternal Mortality: Perspectives from Radio Staff and Women in Rural Areas of Tanzania
Maternal mortality is a critical public health challenge that significantly impacts the lives of millions of women globally, with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for 70% of global maternal deaths. Like many other sub-Saharan African countries, Tanzania continues to experience high maternal mortality rates, particularly among women of reproductive age in rural areas. Guided by the Community for Development Theory and the Health Belief Model, this study examines the potential of community radio as a community-based medium that can contribute to efforts aimed at reducing maternal mortality among rural women in Tanzania. A qualitative approach was employed, collecting data through in-depth interviews from a sample of 48 women involved in the focus group discussion from three Tanzanian districts (Bunda, Maswa and Uvinza), as well as from 22 community radio staff, including managers, editors and producers from Uvinza FM, Mazinga FM and Sibuka FM. The findings indicate that although community radio stations have undertaken several initiatives to combat maternal mortality, such as formulating radio policies to address community issues, conducting awareness campaigns on maternal health and incorporating maternal health topics into their programming, women’s access to radio programmes and engagement in these efforts remain low. Their limited access and participation are attributed to factors such as media illiteracy, financial challenges, household responsibilities and entrenched patriarchal norms in rural areas. This article suggests enhancing rural women’s access to and participation in community radio dialogues on maternal health issues as essential to improving maternal health outcomes.
Copyright (c) 2025 Dianus Josephat Ishengoma, Given Mutinta https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The Practice of Public Relations in Lesotho’s Government Ministries: A Case Study
Although scholars and practitioners increasingly recognise the strategic importance of public relations in the private and public sector, many government ministries have poor public relations, which affects service delivery. This is coupled with limited scholarship on public relations in developing countries, including sub-Saharan Africa. This article draws on a case study of government ministries in Lesotho to establish how public relations is practised, contested and can be repurposed in the African context. To collect data, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were employed to solicit views from 20 public relations officers working in 10 government ministries in Lesotho. Data were analysed through an inductive thematic analysis. The findings suggest that public relations professionals face many challenges in executing their duties. These include a lack of communication; a lack of resources; misunderstanding (specifically from management) as to what public relations entails; bureaucracy, political influence and manipulation of information released to the public; information presented in one language only; and the absence of a public relations cadre. Collectively, these challenges suggest limited awareness of the full scope of public relations and a predominance of routine technician tasks over strategic advisory roles. The proposed directives for improvement present an opportunity for public relations practitioners working in government ministries to strategise their work.
Copyright (c) 2025 Mathabiso Phelane, Mardi Delport https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Just a few days ago, on 22-23 November 2025, South Africa hosted the first G20 Summit on African soil in Johannesburg, under the theme Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability. The summit highlighted the growing role of African countries in a multipolar world. It drew attention to issues disproportionately affecting the Global South, including infrastructure development, food security, disaster resilience, and challenges related to unsustainable debt and a fair allocation of benefits from mining resources.
Copyright (c) 2025 Anna Oksiutycz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Re-imagining Broadcasting in the Public Interest. SABC TV Broadcasting in a Commercialised Competitive Media System
The article looks at the South African Broadcasting Corporation as a case study to examine the impact of liberalisation and competition by examining scheduling and programming to ascertain diversity. The public sphere theory was used to evaluate its performance as a public service broadcaster. The article challenges the arguments that, first, liberalisation commercialises public service broadcasting which results in the erosion of the public sphere through excessive similarity in programming, thus excluding certain perspectives, fragmenting audiences and limiting its social and integrative role. Second, commercial interests have undermined the service mandate of public service broadcasting and it has lost legitimacy and relevance. It also decries the dominance of public service broadcasting literature from the North, which focuses on the public‒private dichotomous approach that emphasises collective interest over personal choice, and commonality over diversity. Findings show that the South African Broadcasting Corporation's programming is diverse with high local content, and that responses to competition are not deterministic, while commercialisation and convergence are inherent risks that can be mitigated by creative programming strategies and regulation. Findings further provide insight into the approach of the South African Broadcasting Corporation to scheduling and programming through broadcasting the rainbow nation, a construct that suggests ideals of nation building, unity and diversity as public interest embedded in the broadcasting legislative and organisational frameworks. The notion of the rainbow nation is rooted in diverse cultures and the different racial makeup of South Africa.
Copyright (c) 2025 Momelezi Kula, Blose Maud https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Unveiling the Voices and Examining the Phases of Reportage in Online News Stories of the Coronavirus Pandemic in Ghana
This article examines media coverage of the coronavirus pandemic in Ghana, specifically focusing on four selected Ghanaian news portals (myjoyonline.com, citinewsroom.com, peacefmonline.com and gna.org.gh) from 12 March 2020 to 24 March 2021. The study underpinning the article examined news sources, attributions and reportage phases. The study was guided by the Agenda Setting and Framing theories within a content analysis approach that sampled and analysed 208 news stories. The findings highlight the central role of various sources, including government officials and politicians, medical experts, health organisations, affected communities, corporate executives and international media in shaping the media narrative about the pandemic. These sources provided information, insights and perspectives that informed the media’s reporting and helped disseminate crucial information to the public. In addition, the study underpinning the article unveiled a five-phased approach adopted by the media, from early responsiveness to resilience and recovery, each marked by different frames such as political, public health crisis, social, economic and on-the-brighter-side frames. This dynamic approach allowed the media to adapt to the evolving nature of the pandemic and cater to the diverse information needs of the audience. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of media coverage during health crises and offers valuable insights for media professionals, policymakers and the public.
Copyright (c) 2025 Martin Thompson Kwadzo Ntem, Siyasanga M Tyali https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Parental Perspectives on Gamified Experiences and Entrepreneurial Skill Development in Children
Gamified communication is increasingly recognised as a powerful modality in education, fostering interactive learning and behavioural transformation. This study explored how game-based communication strategies contribute to entrepreneurial skill development in childhood, with a focus on South Africa’s Eastern Cape. While gamification is well researched in Global North contexts, little is known about how it functions in early entrepreneurial development within African childhood settings. Drawing on an interpretivist paradigm, the study investigated how parents experience and make sense of gamified tools that promote entrepreneurial mindsets in their children. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 parents, and data were analysed using the Gioia methodology and narrative analysis. The findings revealed that gamified platforms act as dynamic communication environments through which children engage in simulated entrepreneurial scenarios. Themes such as strategic risk taking, creative problem solving and financial decision making emerged as communicative competencies fostered through these interactions. Through foregrounding gamification as both a pedagogical and communicative practice, this study contributes to African-centred communication scholarship. It highlights the potential of gamified media in localised development contexts, particularly in addressing youth unemployment and social inequality. The research underscores the importance of adapting global digital communication frameworks to African childhood learning environments, opening up new avenues for policy, pedagogy and participatory communication.
Copyright (c) 2025 Eugine Tafadzwa Maziriri, Tinashe Chuchu, Miston Mapuranga https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
“We All Love Cinderella But...”How Young Nigerian Parents Engage with Portrayals of Women in Disney Animated Films
This study investigated how young Nigerian parents engage with Disney’s portrayals of women in animated films. The study employed a qualitative research approach. Drawing on the Audience Reception Theory and the Parental Mediation Theory, the research examined how these parents interpret and mediate Disney’s gender representations in their parenting practices. Data were collected from 20 university-educated parents, aged 25 to 35 years, across various professions in two diverse urban locations, using a guided snowballing technique. The participants were those who had recent exposure to female portrayals from Disney productions. Findings showed diverse media consumption patterns and a high level of exposure to Disney content. Disney animated films were accessed via a wide variety of platforms such as Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Channel. Findings also revealed varied interpretations of Disney’s portrayals, including perpetuation of gender stereotypes and depictions of empowerment. In addition, parents employed restrictive, active and co-viewing strategies to mediate these representations. They expressed concerns about gender socialisation and the reinforcement of cultural values. In the young parents’ navigation of negative portrayals through active mediation and restrictive mediation, they questioned and sieved Disney content for their children and also engaged in open communication where they discussed Disney content with their children. They also used the films to teach cultural values. Stay-at-home mothers used these films more than the other groups of parents. This study highlights the relationship between media, culture and parenting in shaping gender attitudes.
Copyright (c) 2025 Chinedu Richard Ononiwu, Chikezie E. Uzuegbunam https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Managing Corporate Reputation in Higher Education: The Case of the North-West University
The objective of this article is to evaluate the corporate reputation of the North-West University during a period characterised by significant challenges, such as transformation within the higher education sector and the impact of global trends such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the emergence of new stakeholder groups. These challenges possess the potential to affect North-West University’s corporate reputation. The article explores North-West University’s corporate reputation with an emphasis on the importance of staff members as a key stakeholder group of which to take note. The article assesses this stakeholder group’s perceptions through semi-structured interviews and an online survey characterised by RepTrak™. The findings of the article suggest that there is room for North-West University to improve its corporate reputation among staff members, as these stakeholders perceive the university’s corporate reputation as average. The findings also suggest a need to improve corporate reputation management and the need for development of a formal strategy to achieve this at North-West University. The article furthermore proposes reasons staff members at North-West University perceive the university’s corporate reputation as average and provides recommendations for improving it.
Corporate reputation management and measurement
Copyright (c) 2025 Ashleigh Gail Pieterse, Lida Holtzhausen https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Theory vs practice: perceptions of professionalisation in strategic communication education
This research examines the professionalisation of strategic communication as a teaching discipline by exploring perceived tensions within the subject. Higher education is a “battleground” for both professions and would-be professions, and the study offers a deeper understanding of the dynamic tensions shaping the professionalisation process of this discipline. However, there has been limited research in this area within strategic communication. This study is based on qualitative interviews with 25 programme directors of international master’s programmes and leading academics from various parts of the world. The empirical findings show that the interviewees perceive the tension between theory and practice as crucial. Some educational programmes prioritise theory to provide students with a profound understanding of fundamental principles, whereas others emphasise practice to enhance employability and practical skills. The study shows that the perceived dichotomy theory and practice in master’s programmes is oversimplified and involves several nuances and distinctions. The research provides greater insight into how tensions surrounding professionalism arise in emerging fields at the university level, particularly in disciplines that are still establishing their position and trajectory. Furthermore, it raises new questions about how university systems and traditions affect professionalisation processes.
Copyright (c) 2025 María R. Carreras, Jörgen Eksell, Marja Åkeström , Howard Nothhaft https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Using a Delphi Method in the Future of PR and Communication Global Study: South African Findings on Social Impact and PR Education
Public relations in Africa and South Africa has evolved in accordance with its changing landscape. The purpose of this article is to present the views of South African public relations educators and practitioners who participated in a global study titled “The Future of PR and Communication and Their Social Impact”. Earlier studies on the roles of public relations in South Africa highlighted its strategic role with reports that South African public relations practitioners indicated an increase in strategic influence but with limited understanding and use of measurement applications and social impact analysis, which are key components in showcasing the influence of public relations in society. It is therefore essential to revisit the perceptions of public relations practitioners and educators of their roles and the social impact on society, together with their influence on public relations education. The global study “The Future of PR and Communication and Their Social Impact” applied a Delphi-method approach, which included various rounds of concept testing and meaning-making. Significant findings obtained from these participants are aligned with international views and include an emphasis on the integration of communication activities with organisational business objectives, as well as practical, real-life experiences included in public relations education. Participants agreed that social impact could be achieved through stakeholder engagement, agenda setting, creating awareness and influencing the corporate social responsibility focus of organisations. Participants viewed social value as the outcome of social impact activities.
Copyright (c) 2025 Dalien Rene Benecke, Padhma Moodley, Corne Meintjes, Lida Holtzhaisen, Anette Degenaar, Neil H Levy https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Sustainability and Expectations in Client-Public Relations Agency Relationships: A Bi-directional Perspective
The sustainability of public relations agencies is often heavily dependent on positive and vibrant relationships with their clients. Such relationships are crucial during challenging economic conditions and intense competition prevalent within the sphere. Public relations agencies in South Africa face a challenge to prove that they are able to contribute positively to their clients’ bottom line by meeting these expectations. Good relationships lead to higher client retention for agencies, improvement in the client’s return on their investment and it also contributes towards organisational sustainability for the benefit of both parties. This article investigates expectations of client‒public relations agency relationships in South Africa as key elements influencing the relationship between the parties. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted. It involved in-depth interviews with six client representatives and six senior public relations consultants from three prominent public relations agencies operating in Johannesburg. The findings indicate that expectations, competencies and communication inform perceptions of how clients and public relations agencies view the relationship and then try to achieve relationship outcomes. To maintain or expand their client base, public relations agencies need to create value for the client organisations and build relationships and mutual understanding with their clients.
Copyright (c) 2025 Yolanda Makhubele, Anna Oksiutycz, Elizabeth Lubinga https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
GPTs and digital superintermediaries: dynamics, dilemmas, dangers of generative AI – a conceptual framework
The arms race in generative artificial intelligence and artificial intelligence has transformed digital markets, with artificial-intelligence-powered platforms projected to drive market growth to nearly $740 billion by 2030. However, scholarly understanding of how these technologies affect platform competition remains limited. This article explores how generative pre-trained transformers influence digital superintermediaries’ market power and examines whether generative artificial intelligence capabilities reinforce or challenge existing platform dominance. Using a conceptual literature analysis of platforms and artificial intelligence development patterns, the research uncovers a critical paradox: While generative pre-trained transformers represent revolutionary advancement, they create novel forms of artificial intelligence market concentration. The findings reveal how digital superintermediaries leverage artificial-intelligence-powered platforms through control over computational resources and data access, creating self-reinforcing cycles of artificial intelligence capability enhancement. This research demonstrates how artificial intelligence capabilities, particularly generative pre-trained transformers, create new mechanisms of market power consolidation, suggesting the need for innovative regulatory approaches that address the unique characteristics of generative artificial-intelligence-enhanced digital multisided platforms.
generative pre-trained transformers (GPTs)
Copyright (c) 2025 Caroline Muylaluka Azionya https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Strategic Communication and Metamodernism. Shall We Dance? Towards Complexity Beyond Linear Compromise
This article is the result of further joint reflection by the authors, building on their previous arguments that the shifts that gave rise to strategic communication as a discipline suggest linear compromises between modernism and postmodernism. It also provides a scrutiny of metamodernism as a contemporary academic agenda within a complexity framework, and explores whether strategic communication has to an extent not always shown elements of metamodernism. Following an analysis of key figures of metamodern thought and introducing the “dance” of the double pendulum as a metaphor, the authors discuss key challenges that metamodern thinking poses to strategic communication scholars. These require, among other things, a commitment to the species, ironic sincerity, a commitment to complexity on the problem as well as on the solution side, and a “both‒and” realist epistemology and constructionist epistemology at the same time. In conclusion, implications for strategic communication are put forward.
Copyright (c) 2025 Howard Nothhaft, Nina Overton-de Klerk https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Strategic Communication Futures: Paradigm and Practice in a Polycrisis World
This article responds to Nina Overton-de Klerk’s intervention that offers a critical and transdisciplinary overview of the current state of the discipline of strategic communication, and of its future potentials. Our critical engagement originates within the context of Overton-de Klerk’s intervention, published in the contemporary conjuncture of polycrisis. Our self-reflexive study examines the significance of the discipline in relation to the social and political economic concerns of the broader cultural and media studies paradigm. The interlinkages between these fields/disciplines are examined in interdisciplinary nodal relations rather than as separated modular conceptual units. The issue of disciplinary identity is then discussed within the contemporary South African research context. A key argument is that knowledge of the history of paradigms is necessary to make appropriate methodological choices in relation to the researcher’s own position within the contending paradigms. Some suggestions are offered for the way ahead that involve transdisciplinary approaches rather than modular epistemological separations.
Copyright (c) 2025 Keyan Tomaselli, Addamms Mututa https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Trends in Research on Strategic Communication, Strategic Integrated Communication, Personal Branding and Brand Advocacy in the Context of Higher Education
Higher education institutions in South Africa find themselves in situations of strategic complexity due to contextual changes in the higher education landscape. One of these challenges is the complexity of stakeholders within the higher education context, specifically students and alumni. In this regard, students function as internal stakeholders, and once they graduate, they become external stakeholders. Furthermore, due to their connection with a higher education institution, both students and alumni, through their personal brands, can contribute to or diminish strategic communication endeavours by higher education brands. Thus, an integrated communication approach is needed to strategically align student and alumni personal brands with higher education institution brands. Through a systematic literature review, this study explored the integration of relevant concepts to the problem at hand: strategic communication, strategic integrated communication, brand advocacy and personal branding. The conducted review found that these theoretical concepts had limited theoretical overlap with concepts covered in academic articles found on selected academic databases. The absence of interrelatedness between the theoretical foundations and empirical evidence of these concepts highlights the gap in research on the complexity of stakeholders in higher education from a strategic communication perspective. This article adds value to the perspectives on stakeholders in higher education institutions.
Copyright (c) 2025 Jacobus M. De Villiers, Anette Degenaar, Lynnette Fourie https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
On September 28 and 29, 2023, the University of Johannesburg’s Department for Strategic Communication hosted an international conference in conjunction with its sister department at Lund University, Sweden. Under the headline Reflect, Rethink and Reimagine: A Decade of Strategic Communication more than 120 scholars gathered physically and virtually to look back as well as forward, to take stock of past achievements as well as think about the future. The contributions from all over the continent, and indeed the world, spanned all levels of investigation: the tricky details on micro-level, the organizational dynamics on meso-level, the convoluted and complex issues on macro-level. Eminent practitioners joined the event. Some provided inspirational and visionary highlights; others, equally important, sobering reality-checks. Last but not least, UJ’s very own ‘Gallery of Talent’ challenged the participants with music, performances and poetry.
Copyright (c) 2025 Howard Nothhaft https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Risk Communication Strategies Used During the Rising Water Levels Around Kenya’s Lake Naivasha
Risk communication is critical to providing a scientific understanding of perceptions and responses to climate change threats. Using seven focus discussion groups comprising 75 participants, this study examined the role of risk communication in effective implementation of climate change adaptation during floods experienced around Lake Naivasha basin in Kenya in 2018. Specifically, within the contexts of Protective Action Decision Model and risk communication in relation to flood occurrences, the study investigated the following: knowledge and awareness of climate change, risk communication systems put in place to enhance adaptive behaviour and whether the risk communication systems in place were viewed as effective. Findings revealed that the participants understood what climate change is, and related it to their own experiences. In addition, as there was no clear communication before the floods occurred, the risk communication systems were seen as not effective enough, even though the participants received warnings about the imminent rise of water levels in the freshwater lake.
Copyright (c) 2025 Iminza Turere, Robert Nyaga https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
This issue marks three years of Communicare: Journal for Communication Studies in Africa publishing in an open-access format under UJ Press. Since 2022, the journal has achieved significant milestones by retaining South Africa's Department of Higher Education accreditation and being added to the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) in 2024. Communicare is a top performing among UJ Press journals with monthly views between 1500 and 3000. These successes are attributed to the contributions of editors, reviewers, authors, readers and the production staff.
Copyright (c) 2024 Anna Oksiutycz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Stakeholder Relationships in the Child Protection Organisation (CPO) Sector: A Strategic Integrated Communication Approach
This article explores the applicability of a strategic integrated approach to communication to manage stakeholder relationships in the child protection organisation context. The Niemann (2005) implementation model for strategic integrated communication in the for-profit sector was taken as the point of departure. Taking the specific challenges and constraints of the child protection organisation sector into account, the Niemann model is adapted to a framework for strategic integrated communication in the child protection organisation sector. The study included focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with communication practitioners, managers and social workers from four registered national child protection organisations, along with external media and law experts. The results indicate that while the basic guidelines of the strategic integrated communication model apply to child protection organisations, not all aspects are attainable in the context of the child protection organisation. The strategic integrated communication framework for the child protection organisation context argues for integrated collaboration across contextual, organisational, stakeholder and environmental integration areas. The strategic integrated communication framework emphasises the interrelatedness needed to achieve communication outcomes, build strong relationships, maintain a recognisable brand, and report responsibly on child protection issues. The study identifies five enablers – learning mindset, expertise sharing, networking, advocacy and technology adoption – to achieve the strategic goal of safeguarding vulnerable children. It is recommended to move from a stakeholder integration area to a stakeholder responsive area, which emphasises building trusting relationships and a recognisable brand.
Copyright (c) 2025 Anette Degenaar, Lynnette Fourie, Lida Holtzhausen https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Copyright (c) 2024 Martin Ndlela https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Copyright (c) 2024 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Tanzanian journalists in countering fake news: disinformation and misinformation
The widespread dissemination of fake news, “disinformation and misinformation”, is an ongoing issue that has garnered significant attention from scholars and media professionals due to its contribution to public distrust of the credibility of news provided by media outlets. This article explores Tanzanian journalists’ efforts to combat fake news by assessing their awareness, challenges and strategies. A quantitative approach was employed to gather data from a sample of 306 journalists from radio, television, newspapers and online/digital media across various parts of Tanzania’s mainland. Data collection was facilitated through a questionnaire that incorporated closed-ended and open-ended questions, distributed via Google Forms to various online journalists’ platforms, including WhatsApp and email groups. The findings indicate that an impressive 77.8% of these journalists possess a strong understanding of “fake news” and related concepts such as disinformation and misinformation. Over 70% of respondents encountered fake story sources in their daily journalistic pursuits, with the majority acknowledging its detrimental impact on media organisation credibility. The research also revealed a reliance on traditional methods by Tanzanian journalists to counter fake story sources used. Challenges were identified, including delayed responses from experts or government officials to validate the authenticity of a given story, pressure to report breaking news, a lack of fact-checking software, unreliable Internet connectivity for verifying facts online, and a shortage of trained journalists and news gatekeepers capable of identifying fake news sources.
Copyright (c) 2024 Dianus Josephat Ishengoma, Given Mutinta https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Indigenous languages as predictors of understanding and accepting COVID-19 vaccines in Nigeria and South Africa
Indigenous African languages have often suffered neglect in health development campaigns until recently. Considering the multi-faceted effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on different peoples and societies worldwide, this article argues that vaccine campaigns in African settings cannot be impactful if they are not disseminated in the indigenous African languages. The article is hinged on Salawu’s model of indigenous language for development communication, which affirms the connection between language of communication and people’s understanding of the message communicated. The study employed a survey experimental research method. Using the pool sampling technique, both online and offline questionnaires were used to survey the opinions of 191 Nigerian and 114 South African respondents in Lagos and Mafikeng, respectively, about dominant indigenous languages used for COVID-19 vaccine messages, their degree of understanding vaccine messages and their acceptance or rejection of the vaccine messages. Interview sessions were conducted with five purposively selected health communication and media experts to determine the significance of and challenges encountered in the use of indigenous African languages for COVID-19 vaccine campaigns. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical tools, such as frequency count and percentage, chi-square, percentile and logistic regression; while the qualitative data were thematically analysed. While respondents mostly identified with messages in Yoruba, Igbo, Setswana and isiZulu, a few respondents identified with a combination of languages, although these languages did not influence their acceptance of vaccines.
Copyright (c) 2024 Israel Fadipe, Abiodun Salawu, Olanrewaju John Ogundeyi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Developing Artificial Intelligence-Powered Monetary Policy Communication Indicators for Macroeconomic Inquiries in Ghana
Central bank communication is a valuable source of information designed to shape the expectations of economic agents within and outside an economy. In particular, the content of Monetary Policy Committees’ press releases and statements reflect the central banks’ view of current and future macroeconomic developments, making them useful for creating high-frequency indicators as alternatives to traditional but slower-to-publish macroeconomic indicators. In this study, Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered text-mining techniques were employed to create monetary policy communication-based indicators, namely the Monetary Policy Readability Index (MPRI), the Monetary Policy Sentiment Index (MPSI), and the Monetary Policy Uncertainty Index (MPUI), using press releases from the Bank of Ghana's monetary policy committee spanning January 2003 to December 2022. The findings suggest that while readability and sentiments generally declined over the sample period, uncertainty increased, indicating persistent macroeconomic imbalances and vulnerabilities in the domestic economy. The newly developed time series-based indicators demonstrate Granger causal relationships with key macroeconomic variables, affirming their relevance to the central bank, the Ministry of Finance, researchers, investors, and development partners. Notably, the indicators can serve as an early warning system for monitoring and predicting the country's macroeconomic risks, forecasting lagging indicators, assessing the effectiveness of the Bank’s monetary policy communication, and addressing monetary policy inquiries.
Copyright (c) 2024 Francis Mawuli Abude, Jones Odei-Mensah, Eric Schaling https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0