This article analyses the role of the media during the two months of postelection crisis in 2008 in Kenya. After presidential election results were announced and disputed, the government banned live news broadcasts for five days. The paper discusses how people exchanged information during and after the media ban, and analyses online discussions and media coverage. It argues that “social media” generated an alternative public sphere, which widened the perspectives about the crisis, and enabled new kind of citizen participation in discussing the situation. The crisis also showed the significance of “social media” as a horizontal form for information-sharing.
During the ban, citizens used social media tools to communicate, share news of violence outbreaks, and promote peace. As in many countries, social media is mainly accessible to elites, and thus may represent elite views. Many social media sites are run by expatriate Kenyans, or foreigners in Kenya. Many Kenyans used social media as citizen journalists. These channels presented critical alternative viewpoints to the traditional media. Some video bloggers documented protestors’ confrontations with police, while the Ushahidi tool mapped the outbreaks of violence. Social media was also used to incite violence and provoke ethnic tensions.
Key Findings:
- Many Kenyan bloggers were critical of the role of the mainstream media.
- Social media offered narratives by “citizen reporters” and digital activists that were more diverse than the views presented in the mainstream media, and represented grassroots reactions during the crisis.
- Although some blogs aimed to promote peace and justice, others were used as channels for biased information, tribal prejudices, and hate speech.
- Social media tools have opened up new possibilities for citizens to share their views in public and discuss the situation. Mobile phones and web applications have enabled many Kenyans to contact and help relatives in risky areas. Kenyan bloggers have also tried to work towards more accessible information and transparency in decision making.
