AI Hype Through an African Lens

A Critical Analysis of Language as Symbolic Action in Online News Publications

Datos Bibliográficos

ID22010807
AutoresSisanda Nkoala (0000-0003-3863-7392, University of the Western Cape, autor de correspondencia), Trust Matsilele (0000-0002-7668-7641, Birmingham City University), Musawenkosi W Ndlovu (0000-0003-4236-8148, University of Cape Town), Musawenkosi Ndlovu (University of Cape Town), Tanja Bosch (0000-0002-8093-1969, University of Cape Town)
Año2026
Volumen14
Número2
Páginas380-399
Fecha de publicación2026-02-07
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaDigital Journalism (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2167-0811 • E-ISSN: 2167-082X
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/21670811.2025.2528052
OpenAlexW4412015195
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas4
Referencias citadas52

News media play a crucial role in shaping a public understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and influencing how society interacts with this technology, often contributing to AI hype. This is particularly significant in Africa, where unique socioeconomic dynamics and historical relationships with technology shape news discourse on AI. However, there is limited understanding of how African news media contribute to AI hype. To address this, this study analysed news reportage on AI in online publications (n = 724) from 26 Anglophone African countries published in national and regional outlets between 1 June 2022 and 31 December 2023. Using content analysis and drawing on the Burkean notion of language as symbolic action, we examine how these publications frame AI and contribute to its hype. Our findings reveal a bias: Western authors dominate coverage and consistently focus on AI’s technical and economic aspects, with AI-related articles predominantly appearing in technology (36%) and business (19%) sections. This emphasis on tools and solutions suggests a utilitarian view of AI, prioritising practical applications over broader societal implications. By employing a structured approach to analyse various elements of news articles, this study develops a framework for examining and understanding how African news media fuels AI hype in public discourse

Critical discourse analysis · Ideology · Linguistics · Media studies · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Computer Science · Discourse Analysis in Language Studies · Law