(Social) Media and the 2017 Elections
The upcoming general elections in Kenya can be interpreted and debated in a multitude of ways. In the eyes of some people, they represent a launching pad for opportunity and liberation. To others, they are periods of intense anxiety, uncertainty and conflict. They are also moments of political performance, enhanced corruption and manipulation of insecurities. All of those interpretations, hopes, and fears are valid; all of them are significant.
In 2017 the Goethe-Institut Kenya, in partnership with
Twaweza Communications and the
DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), organises a series of monthly dialogue forums on the upcoming general elections. Our panels of facilitators will discuss various issues that will be determined through daily monitoring of key election related events, as well as the underlying structural challenges for Kenya.
Our second session is titled “From Newsrooms to Smartphones: (Social) Media and the 2017 Elections” on 2nd March 2017 at 6 pm in the Goethe-Institut Nairobi’s auditorium. We would like to address the question of the influence of media, in particular social media, on campaigns and voting decisions. Do they actually play a big part in who gets elected? If so, what are the mechanisms behind those influences? Who gets a say? The owners of the big media groups, journalists, the users, algorithms? And who benefits from these mechanisms?
With
Nanjira Sambuli, Advocacy Manager /
Web Foundation
Grace Githaiga, Co- Convenor /
Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet)
Merceline Nyambala, CEO /
Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK)
Moderated by Professor Jacqueline Oduol, Gender and Governance Expert
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