Working on disrupting stereotypical and biased stories about Africa and the Global South through re-appropriation of digital technologies and occupying online spaces

The African Media Collaborative (AMC) is a collective of scholars dedicated to examining how digital technologies are being re-appropriated in the Global South. Our research examines online platforms and youth-led movements in the Global South, with a specific focus on how Africans are reclaiming their narratives through digital platforms. From challenging dominant media portrayals to fostering grassroots storytelling, we are interested in how online spaces are being reframed, disrupted, and occupied by young people across the continent.

AMC’s work draws from key case studies such as #FeesMustFall in South Africa, #EndSARS in Nigeria, and #RejectFinanceBill2024 in Kenya. These movements underscore the pivotal role of digital media in mobilizing protests, sharing lived experiences, and confronting systemic injustice. Through these examples, we explore how online activism in Africa functions not only as a tool for resistance but also as a vehicle for visibility, voice, and transformation. Our collaborative research contributes to broader conversations about the role of digital technologies in shaping sociopolitical change across the Global South.

To guide our approach, AMC utilizes the RDO model of storytelling, which involves Reframing, Disrupting, and Occupying.

Reframing involves analyzing how African youth challenge biased narratives in global and local media. Disrupting focuses on documenting how communities resist misinformation through creative, community-rooted storytelling methods, including the use of memes and hashtags. Occupying examines the sustained presence of African stories in digital spaces, told from within, rooted in lived realities.