New media,New media,AfricaAfricaandand2020 …2020 … Guy Berger

Rhodes University, South Africa

Sivu MzamoSivu Mzamo

Tech storyCareer storyEconomic rights storySpatial – development storyCultural story

COMING UP:COMING UP:

1. Context: information society

2. Africa and South Africa

3. New Media Lab

4. Highway Africa

5. Conclusion

SECTION 1: CONTEXTSECTION 1: CONTEXT

Modernisation paradigmModernisation paradigm

Assumption of desirable devt:Urban, affluent, informed, rational.

To get there: technology.

(= Romanticism and determinism)Temp hurdle: tech haves, have-notsIn ICTs, the Digital divide (widening)Answer: disseminate (Rogers)

Challenge!Challenge!

LimitationsLimitations

Desirables? Eg. USA?Technology can be negative.Tech progress is not inevitable.How separate & temporary is the

Digital Divide?Dissemination is a top-down ethos:–Misses bottom-up tech evolution–Misses that the ‘haves’ need have-nots.

Future visionsFuture visions

Pete Rinearson:– Overestimate changes in 2 years– Underestimate in 10.

Media2020: 15 years away!

What is media? And its role?

PredictingPredicting

Certainties:– Globalisation: one world– Conflict: security issues– China: language, script– Connectivity & content: cheaper

Uncertainties:– Shape of inequalities– Cultural power

Options: Options: whatwhat Info Info Society?Society?A holistic concept encompassing:– Tech: ICTs– Occupations– Economics– Geography– Culture.

= An integrated global Info Society, OR= a divided, uneven one?

2020 scenarios2020 scenarios

CENTRES– ICTs: ubiquitous– Occupations:

service– Economics: GDP– Geography: insular– Culture: northern

MARGINS– ICTs: costly– Occupations:

mindless, none– Economics: charity– Geography: colonial– Culture: subaltern

OR: networked globe, automation, value co-created, cosmopolitan, diversity as sought-after.

Summing up:Summing up:

A two-tier Information Society?An inclusive Information Society?… or a transformed one?

SECTION 2: AFRICASECTION 2: AFRICA

Continent commonalitiesContinent commonalities

Not media-dense “Information” not nec “rational” Not an exporter of content Limited beneficiation of imported content Policy environment problematic. Even in SA, role of media constrained by:– Investment deficits & market size– Language diversity– Class and access issues.

South African mediaSouth African media

Licenses: PBS, Commercial, Community. National broadcasters– Terrestrial, analogue: advert dependent– Satellite TV by subscription.

Regional & local radio. 15 dailies, 20 weeklies, 50 mags

= Important info-structure components.

SA media content and roleSA media content and role

Independent, democratic Commercialisation Tabloidisation Plagiarism, but not much

piracy Contraints on exports Quality of content: mixed.

SA new media: internetSA new media: internet

3,6 million online users (5% adults)Mainly white, 50% at workGovt online, but weak MPCCsMedia web content: shovelwareLimited experiments in pay modelsNot commercially viable for publishers

Connectivity:Connectivity:

2 big ISPs plus TelkomStill buying pipes from TelkomWireless: 3G from SentechWifi – very limited. VOIP banned.February 2005: liberalisationBUT: connectivity will still be costly!!!

Current costs:Current costs:

SA was in top 20 connected countries

Now 34th.Cost differential: 13x higher than UK.

Convergence Bill:Convergence Bill:

Move from vertical licensing: – To date, Telkom could do everything and

a consumer received chain of services, infrastructure and devices from them.

To horizontal licensing:–Will be tiers of licences that are “tech

neutral” and open for competitors.– But: radio spectrum use is not neutral.

Policy problems:Policy problems:

Infrastructure is one thing; Applications is another;– Eg. signal distribution, ISP, ecommerce;

Digital content is something else.

Apps can be tech neutral – go on diff infrastructure Content can ride on various apps & infrastructure

But historically, providers of content via airwaves (unlike newspapers) have conditions: local content, watershed periods, electoral obligations

Under new law?: Under new law?:

Suppose SABC is licensed as content provider (via airwaves) …

Does not need license for its website.But what when the same website

content travels on wireless?Licensing of websites???Is diffs between broadcast push &

internet pull significant? (even wrt webcasting?)

What impact for future? What impact for future? Or: will all content producers need

licenses? Even newspapers with sites, or stand-alone sites, or bloggers? And not just audio-visual, but text content producers?

Or will those other than “spectrum-hogs” be exempted as a class?

Point: content licenses should not be relevant to channel (i.e. airwaves, but how this vehicle is used) = not tech neutral!

…. Until digital broadcasting comes along.

Telecoms industry:Telecoms industry:

Telkom: SDC, Malaysians.– Universal service targets but failure.– USA levy but failure.

Cellular operators success.– Vodacom (Telkom, Vodafone)–MTN, Cell-C

Predicted <500 000, now 18 millionAfrican business expansion

Broadband bluesBroadband blues

Telkom: ADSL2nd national operator – 2 years

overdue (Transtel, Esitel)Sentech: 3G

Evolution: content, otherEvolution: content, other

SMS – 17 a month per user

Voice services Costly to use

GPRS MTN going into M-

commerce.

Journalists & ICTsJournalists & ICTs

Barely use cameraphones.Poorly skilled at web research.Inadequate access in newsrooms.Under-researched content in general.Not multi-skilling, SABC bi-media

reversed.Negligible convergence of native &

online newsrooms.

SECTION 3: NEW MEDIA SECTION 3: NEW MEDIA LABLAB

Rhodes New Media LabRhodes New Media Lab

TeachingResearchDevelopmentHighway Africa

1996-1998: phase 11996-1998: phase 1

Period Course Tech Industry Income HA

CARR 2 ug,

Short courses

Gogga search

Booklets

html TML 1 lecturer

(TML)

1 assist-

Self-pd

Telkom

$6000

1998-2001: phase 21998-2001: phase 2

Period Course Tech Industry Income HA

Publishing bubble

1 ug,

CARR

1pg,

WEB

Webcast

Booklets

Site-build-

softwr

TML, iAfrika,

SABC

3 lecturers

1 assist-

Self-pd

Telkom

SABC, DoC

$60000

2002-2004: Phase 32002-2004: Phase 3

Period Course Tech Industry Income HA

CARR,

Publish

Multi-media

1 ug,

CARR

2 pg,

WEB

Multi-

media

Dream

Wevr,

Flash,

Dbase

Online Pub Assoc

1 lecturer

1 assist-

Self-pd

Telkom

SABC, DoC, MTN,

Mchoic

$200000

Multimedia: 3 sitesMultimedia: 3 sites

Tenyearson.org

Alivingstage.org

egazini

2004: NML’s cms in 2004: NML’s cms in CuemediaCuemedia

Work flow trackingWork flow tracking

Performance monitoringPerformance monitoring

Automated online Automated online publishingpublishing

Time managementTime management

Going open source:Going open source:

SECTION 4: HIGHWAY AFRICASECTION 4: HIGHWAY AFRICA

NML 2004 vision:NML 2004 vision:

We see African journalists, empowered by the skills, understandings and access to technology, contributing to a communication and information enriched community, country and continent.

NML 2004 Mission:NML 2004 Mission:

Educate and train journalism students and the media industry;

Advance knowledge through research and dissemination of that research;

Innovate and experiment with technology; Engage with industry and relevant interest

groups.

2005-20082005-2008

Period Course Tech Industry Income HA

CARR,

Publish

Multi-media.

Mobile,

We-media,

CMS,

ICT journ,

HANA

1 ug,

CARR

2 pg,

WEB

Multi-

media

Other specialisBook,

CMS

Dream

Wevr,

Flash,

Dbase.

OSS,

GIS

Online Pub Assoc,

Grocotts Mail,

Zim online, etc.

2 lecturer

1 assist-

Self-pd

Telkom

SABC, DoC, MTN,

Mchoic

Tech?

$220000

Highway Africa history: Highway Africa history:

2001: all African countries connected

Highway Africa history: Highway Africa history:

2001: all African countries connected1997: HA commenced – 65 people2004: 430 external delegs, 17 sponsorsAims:– Raise awareness– Impart skills– Bridge industry-academy– Continental networking

HA themes: HA themes:

97 New media 2000

98 Bringing the highway south

99 Net, media & democracy

HA themes: HA themes:

2000 Africa’s new media century

2001 Digital renaissance

HA themes: HA themes:

2002 Wiring journalism for development (wssd)

2003 Mainstreaming media in the Information Society (wsis)

2004 Media making the Information Society

2005 Reinforcing journalism in the Information Society

For HA, Info Society spans: For HA, Info Society spans:

freedom for new & old media. quality of information, African

voices, policy issues. global ICT potential.

And: it frames this big picture.

Highway Africa since Highway Africa since 2000: 2000:

Website, daily paperRadio, TV, cellular output.Newsroom of the FutureAward for innovationExhibitions

2004: Highway Africa 2004: Highway Africa vision: vision: A vibrant & growing

network of African journalists empowered to advance democracy & development through understanding & use of appropriate technologies.

Highway Africa mission: Highway Africa mission:

sensitize journalists on role of ICT in society & media;

train journalists & journalism teachers in understanding & using technology to access, generate and distribute information;

network journalists, & link them with key stakeholders (academics, policy makers, civil society etc)

Networking examplesNetworking examples

Highway Africa mission Highway Africa mission cntd: cntd: Advocate for a media & technology

environment which enables journalists to play their full role in democracy and development

Research the use and impact of ICTs in Africa with particular ref to the media

Publish and disseminate research and information across a range of platforms

Celebrate innovation & excellence & to promote better practice thru peer review

Celebrate example - Celebrate example - awards:awards:

Highway Africa Highway Africa programmes: programmes:

Five complementary interventions:

1.Research2.Training3.Policy reform4.Information5.Conference

1. HA research1. HA research

Viability of newssites;Web software used;Coverage of IS policy in – Ethiopia, Senegal, DRC, Mozambique,

Kenya, Nigeria, (SA still under way);Use of ICTs in 9 African countries.05: Content management in 6 states.

Research …Research …

Results 04 ICT reporting:– Reproducing press releases– Reactive reporting– Uninformed, uneducated on ICTs– Silence on policy and WSIS

Results 04 ICT Use: – Poor access– Email use, only 50% for research– Low research skills– Newsrooms lack policies

2. HA training2. HA training

Conference workshops x 20 p.a.

2003: 10 day intro course; 2004:

• Intro course (22 journos)• Advanced course to IS (26);

2004: Advocacy (Kenya) 2005: Zim online, short courses.

Training: to report on, and Training: to report on, and useuse

Digital techPolicy Internet governance Intellectual property Indigenous

knowledge ICT reporting

3. HA advocacy3. HA advocacy

Objective: to expand media role as stakeholder in IS policies:

–Conference Declarations“03 Media & the Info Society”

–WSIS prepcoms

– IS policy database

4. Information - HANA4. Information - HANA

HANA history:HANA history:

2002: WSSD x 15 2002: launch of African Union x 15

2003: WSIS – prepcoms, Geneva x 25 2004: Africa Telecoms, WSIS prepcom,

Aitec, Marrakesh, Icann. x 20 2005: Accra prepcom, Tunis in Nov

200 outlets …200 outlets …

Hana’s horizons:Hana’s horizons:

Highly skilled journalists reporting ICT issues to African audiences;

Promoting informed ICT policy and practice around continent;

Becoming a commercially viable agency over a three-year period

5: Conference:5: Conference:

Pulling it all together: Conference objective: To create a platform

for sharing information, knowledge and experience in media and ICTs and to celebrate excellence

Research feeds training, and conference; Training feeds HANA; All feed advocacy.

media2020?media2020?

Rhodes UniversityUniversity of Fort HareWitwatersrand UniversityPeninsula TechnikonBorder TechnikonPort Elizabeth TechnikonUniversity of the NorthUniversity of the Western CapeTshwane University of Science and TechnologyMakerere UniversityNational University of Science and Technology (Zimbabwe)

11 educational institutions attended in 04

SECTION 5: CONCLUSIONSECTION 5: CONCLUSION

Context: information societyAfrica and South AfricaNew Media LabHighway Africa

Prognosis:Prognosis:

Media role and content will significantly shape the Info Society.

Interventions are needed if we want degree of positive integration of Africa, and a common comms space.

The NML offers training, R&D.Highway Africa = outreach impact.

Two developments to Two developments to watch:watch:“Accidental computers”AfricaMediaMatrix @ RU

So … open for So … open for collaborationcollaborationGuy Berger

G.Berger@ru.ac.za

http://www.highwayafrica.org.za

Thank you.