New media, pirate radio and the creative appropriation of technology in Zimbabwe

Case of Radio Voice of the People

Bibliographic Data

ID2172971
AuthorsAdmire Mare (0000-0002-9329-4030)
Year2013
Volume25
Issue1
Pages30-41
Publication date2013-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of African Cultural Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1369-6815 • E-ISSN: 1469-9346
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/13696815.2012.749781
OpenAlexW2073051873
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited18

This article examines the creative appropriation of new media technologies by the producers of a pirate radio station (Radio Voice of the People) beaming into Zimbabwe from South Africa. In particular the article explores the news production process and the ways in which new technologies have transformed audience reception practices. Radio VOP has deployed multiple alternative transmission strategies that have rendered Zanu PF's claims to communication sovereignty obsolete. This article argues that radio as a medium of communication has adapted and appropriated digital technologies to extend its reach while opening up novel platforms of audience participation. The survival of the pirate radio since 2002 (even after its Harare studio was bombed) demonstrates its tenacity and resilience in the face of brutal repression. There are, however, limitations to the reach of pirate radio, and this article shows that its interactive website promotes elite participation because of the digital divide pervading developing countries

Appropriation · Linguistics · Media studies · Sociology · Speech recognition · Telecommunications · Voice command device · African studies and sociopolitical issues · Computer Science · Media Influence and Politics · Media Studies and Communication

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