Conclusion

Following an introduction to this course, in the second half of Week 1 we learned about how and why media representations matter for international development.

We did so by considering two examples. First, we looked at the changes and continuities in ‘western’ media representations of Africa through the notions of ‘Afro-pessimism’ and ‘Afro-optimism’. We then looked critically at media coverage of the ‘refugee crisis’ unfolding at Europe’s borders. Finally, we saw how grassroots civil society actors and refugees themselves are using digital media to challenge these mainstream media narratives – a topic that we will explore in more detail in next week’s sessions on Community and Participatory Media.