ABSTRACT

We explore practical implications of emerging media convergence for journalists and citizens regarding access to information in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Using data from 34, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews, our analysis produces four key findings: (1) individuals and community radio journalists engage with media convergence in DRC; (2) media convergence offers solutions for evading government oversight and regulation; (3) radio journalists are committed to local and international news rather than national, political news and (4) outside actors, such as the Catholic Church and government, exert pressure on radio journalists. Our findings suggest there is growing engagement with convergence culture in Eastern DRC but radio remains a primary and invaluable source of news relating to politics, health, entertainment, and regional conflict. Additionally, emerging participatory culture suggests that citizens are ready for more transparent and representative news media – they need only be connected to a reliable and steady source of information.

摘要

我们探讨新兴媒体融合对记者和公民在刚果民主共和国 (DRC) 获取信息方面的实际影响。使用来自 34 次半结构化面对面访谈的数据，我们的分析产生了四个主要发现：（1）个人和社区电台记者参与了刚果民主共和国的媒体融合；（2）媒体融合为规避政府监管提供了解决方案；(3) 广播记者致力于本地和国际新闻，而不是国家、政治新闻；(4) 外部行为体，如天主教会和政府，对广播记者施加压力。我们的调查结果表明，刚果民主共和国东部越来越多地参与融合文化，但广播仍然是与政治、健康、娱乐、和地区冲突。此外，新兴的参与性文化表明，公民已准备好接受更透明和更具代表性的新闻媒体——他们只需要连接到可靠和稳定的信息来源。