African Language Media
Development, Economics and Management
Routledge African Studies Series

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 asthe 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.

Introduction Part 1: Political Economy of African Language Media 1. The political economy of indigenous language media in Nigeria and the challenge of survival in digital age 2. The politics of language and the underdevelopment of African language press in Zimbabwe Part 2:Mixed Bag: Failures and Successes of African Language Newspapers 3. In the dead end: the decline of the indigenous language press in post-colonial Zimbabwe 4. Making sense of South African Mmega Dikgang’s transition from Setswana to English 5. The extinction of siSwati-language newspapers in the Kingdom of Eswatini 6. Indigenous language newspapers in Zimbabwe: Kwayedza and Umthunywa and the struggle for survival 7. Indigenous language media and the survival game: the Alaroye newspaper example from Nigeria Part 3: Management and Sustainability of African Language Media 8. Reimagining the Future of Indigenous Language Press in the Digital Era 9. A survey of the management, organisation, structure, content and columns of the contemporary Yorùbá newspaper 10. The challenges of sustaining African language newspaper businesses: the Yorùbá language example from Nigeria Part 4: Towards quality: African Language Journalism Development 11. The significance of African storytelling in journalism 12. African language journalism in Ghana and the quest for quality and sustainable broadcast journalism: an investigation of Peace FM 13. Editorial policies and the isiXhosa language newspapers at Caxton Media and Independent Media Part 5: Focus on the Broadcast Media 14. News syndication in local language broadcasting in South Africa: hegemonic Infiltration or hybridity? Part 6: Borrowing a Leaf 15. African language newspaper sustainability: lessons to learn from Asia

Abiodun Salawu is Professor of Journalism, Communication and Media Studies and Director of the research entity Indigenous Language Media in Africa at the North-West University, South Africa.