Stories about Citizen Media from August, 2020
Meet the artist embroidering Belarus’ protests
From faraway Prague, the Belarusian artist Rufina Bazlova is paying homage to the protests in her homeland by depicting them in traditional Belarusian embroidery.
Pious, assertive, and ‘mother of all Bolivians': The political narrative of President Jeanine Áñez
The president went on costly helicopter rides to 'bless' cities during the pandemic, with passengers that included priests, evangelical pastors and legislators who brought along holy water and religious statues.
In Pakistan, a man accused of blasphemy was shot dead in a courtroom. His killer was hailed as a hero.
Extrajudicial killings of people accused of blasphemy aren't uncommon in Pakistan.
How the murder of musician Hachalu Hundessa incited violence in Ethiopia: Part II
Within an hour of musician Hachalu Hundessa’s assassination, Ethiopians netizens hit social media with scattershot conspiracy theories, hate speech & disinformation campaigns — particularly on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
How the murder of musician Hachalu Hundessa incited violence in Ethiopia: Part I
In the wake of musician Hachalu Hundessa's murder, Ethiopia has struggled to come to terms with the violence and turmoil that erupted along ethnic and religious faultlines.
‘Wiki Loves Africa’ 2020 features images of a continent on the move
"Wiki Loves Africa," encourages people to contribute Africa-relevant media to Wikimedia annually around a particular theme to fundamentally change how people both within and outside Africa see the continent.
Calls, SMS, and radio: How pre-internet tech helps low-income children's schooling in India's lockdown
An award-winning non-profit start-up from the city of Cuttack, in the state of Odisha, is providing low-cost remote education to over 5,000 children from 400 villages.
Minister accused of rape gets appointed. What does this say about France?
The appointment to the ministry of the interior of a man under investigation for rape and sexual harassment raises questions on normalization of sexist remarks and actions in France.
The chilling tale of mass surveillance and spying in Rwanda
Rwanda justifies its tight control over media freedom, suppression of dissent, and hostility toward opposition as matters of national unity and security.
In the age of misinformation, who holds the power to categorize the ‘truth'?
Over time, the categorization of information can result in the dominance of a single world view, making platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Google the central arbiters of truth.
In Trinidad & Tobago, the use of Black iconography in Emancipation Day ads backfires
"This ad brings to light greater issues of the way Africans are represented in media and how careless and flippant many media programmers are with African icons, legacy, and symbols."
Ahead of elections in Trinidad & Tobago, one party promises to build a dome to limit ‘illegal outsiders’
With less than a week until Trinidad and Tobago's general elections, electioneering has reached a fever pitch. Still, no one quite expected a dome as a campaign promise.
Five months after the elections, Guyana swears in new president
After multiple court actions challenging the election's results, the Guyana Elections Commission declared Mohamed Irfaan Ali of the opposition People's Progressive Party (PPP) as the country's new president.