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An Assessment of the Changing Community Media Parameters in East Africa

This article assesses the changing patterns of community media in East Africa, following the recognition of citizenship ideology, rather than consumerism ideology, as an operational guide. Central to the discussion is the concept of participation, which has led to community media parameters changing from being defined in terms of geographical location to citizenship-based media that act as a public sphere where participants go beyond the local community and national borders extending into "imagined communities." Unlike initial community media where members in the locality participated directly, people now largely depend on low-cost technology by calling in and sending e-mail messages to local radio stations. The article highlights issues of inclusion in the public debates by grassroots communities whereby the speakers become active participants in citizens’ media.

Keywords: Citizens’ media, citizenship, community, development communication, grassroots communities, media literacy, participation, public sphere