1988 Volume 2 Number 2 African Media and Democracy • Communication and Cultural Synchronization Valijg Orientation in Prejs Coverage Journalistic Expression in Africa Story Telling an4 Democracy Copyright (c) 1988 by the African Council on Communication Education (ACCE), Nairobi, Kenya. ISSN 0258-4913 Africa Media Review Africa Media Review is a forum for the study of communication theory, practice and policy. in communication development in Africa with special reference to the impact of communication studies on Africa and its people. It addresses itself to those interested Manuscripts The Editorial Board welcomes well-researched scholarly articles and book reviews and other contributions in all areas of communication for possible publication in the Africa Media Review (AMR). Articles should not exceed 8000 words (including notes and references), and book reviews should not exceed 2000 words. Three copies of each article and review should be submitted (one original and duplicates). 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Books for Review, book review articles, and all other matters regarding AMR should be addressed to the Publications Coordinator, same address as above. Subscriptions One Year Two Years Three Years US$ 39.00 US$ 69:00 US$ 99:00 Single copies are $13:00. Cheques or money orders should be made payable to African Council on Communication Education and sent to the address above. Special arrangements will be entered into where applicable for subscribers their nearest ACCE National Coordinator. in Africa through Africa Media Review is published thrice yearly by the ACCE Institute for Communication Development and Research, P.O. Box 47495, Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa. (ii) Editor-in-Chief Ikechukwu Nwosu, University of Nigeria,Enugu Campus, Nigeria. Editors Associate Editors Isaac Obeng Quaidoo, University of Legon, Ghana. Faustin Yao, Universite' d'Abidjan, Cote d'lvoire. Loudvic Miyouna, Universite' Marien Ngouabi Congo Brazzaville. Juma Nyirenda, University of Zambia, Zambia. Publications Manager S.T. Kwame Boafo, African Council on Communication Education, Kenya. ACCE Executive Coordinator ACCE President Batilloi Warritay, ACCE, Kenya. Tom Adaba, NTA Television College, Jos, Nigeria. (iii) Comment on the content of this issue This issue of AMR, Vol. 2, No. 2, 1988, contains a selection of papers presented at the Sixth Biennial Conference of the ACCE held in Jos, Nigeria, from 24-29 October, 1988. All the papers relate to the general theme: 'Communication and the Democratic Process in Africa'. They reflect the rich variety of scholarly opinion and approaches which characterize discussion of communication and mass media issues within the African context. refrain through all these articles running The dominant is acknowledgement of the central role of mass communications in the purview of Africa's development agenda and priorities. And, despite the prevalence of gross violations of human rights in certain parts of Africa to this day, Paul Ansah, for instance, avers that democracy as a social concept is not alien to this continent. He finds sufficient elements within the African traditional conception of human rights to provide a base for a press system that should tend more towards liberalism rather than authoritarianism. Michael Traber comes to more or less the same conclusion in his article on peoples' stories and their leisure time. Exploring this concept from the perspectives of social anthropology and mass media studies, Traber bemoans the tone of the African mass media which concentrates on telling 'non-stories' rather than acting as a true bridge between African governments and its people as was, and still is, the role of African story- tellers. infrastructures and Cecil Blake ponders the prospects of the development and application of communication technology for achievement of cultural synchronization in Africa, while Chen Chimutengwende proposes a strong advocacy mass media that would relentlessly agitate for the achievement of greater liberty and the empowerment of the masses. Hughes Kone uses Cote d'lvoire as a case study to analyse the requirements in communication development which will facilitate the democratic proces in African societies. Isaac Obeng-Quaidoo calls for deeper specialization and professionalism among African journalists since development journalism requires in-depth knowledge of the elements that bring about development, and a commitment to the cause. Cornelius Pratt looks at the concepts of responsibility and ethics in the Nigerian press and finds that, in general, the Nigerian daily press has a preference for applying utilitarian ethics to national issues. David Edeani attempts to determine the value orientation of Nigerian newspapers by analysing their coverage of a government programme, Mass Mobilization for Self-Reliance, Social Justice and Economic Recovery. He finds that ownership is an important factor influencing the performance of the press. (iv) Table of Contents In Search of a Role for the African Media in the Democratic Process by Paul A.V. Ansah Communication Development in Africa and its Impact on Cultural Synchronization of Africa and its People by Cecil A. Blake The Role of Communication Education in the Development and Democratization of African Society by Chen C. Chimutengwende Responsibility and Ethical Reasoning in the Nigerian Press by Cornelius Pratt Value Orientations Mobilization Campaign by David O. Edeani in Press Coverage of a National Socio-Economic Factors Affecting Journalistic Expression in Africa: The case of Ghana by Isaac Obeng-Quaidoo Democratization des Medias, Democratic par les Medias une Imperieuse Necessite presente par Hugues Kone The Stories People Tell: Are They Part of the Democratic Process? bv Michael Traber 17 29 46 65 85 100 115 (v)