Global power relations in local media production in the context of Kinshasa (DRC)

Researcher

Supervisor

Co-supervisor

Marie Fierens (Université libre de Bruxelles)

This project studies the role and relevance of global power relations in local media production in the context of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Research questions are derived from the broad field of postcolonial and media studies that are interested in links between local media practices, cultural power, and imperial or global contexts. Starting from the context of Belgium and DR Congo, we focus on contemporary manifestations of global power in lived experiences of local journalists in Kinshasa through a multi-methodological qualitative study. The project employs a qualitative mixed-method design of critical discourse analysis of media content, in-depth interviews, field and newsroom observations, and a focus group, in addition to ethnographical notes taken during seven months of field research in Kinshasa between 2019 and 2021.