University of Buea: Prof Ngange, others unveil books to edify journalism, social science in Cameroon.

The two works are titled: “Media and Governments at War: An Exploration of the Ferocious Struggle for Dominance in the Market Place of Ideas, Influence and Power” and “Media Coverage of Conflicts in Africa: A Multidimensional Analysis of Mass Media Reporting of the Cameroon Anglophone Conflict: 2016-2024”.

The first book, “Media and Governments at War: An Exploration of the Ferocious Struggle for Dominance in the Market Place of Ideas, Influence and Power”, has six chapters. 

The first chapter looks at the historical context and chapter two is on theories that explain such a relationship.

In contrast, chapter three looks at the conflict, with chapter four zooming into the ferociousness of the conflict. 

In contrast, chapter five presents the effects of such a relationship, with chapter six cooling off with prospects of a win-win relationship.

The book is forwarded by Dr David Cuillier, Director of the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project, College of Journalism and Communication, University of Florida. 

Dr Cuillier opined that the escalating war between the media and government will benefit nobody and that nobody can emerge victorious in such a war. 

Ta-Mbi Nkongho, a professor of International Relations, reviewed the book, concluding that it is an objective analysis of the complex relationship between the media and governments.

The work highlights the battles ongoing behind the scenes and in the public’s eye between the media and government for supremacy in influencing the public. 

It takes examples of attacks on the press in Cameroon, Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America to paint a global picture of the continuous battles pitting the Fourth Estate and the other arms of government. 

The book uses such examples to explain with scientific evidence the complex relationship between the government and the media using their experiences in media scholarship, education, teaching, and practice.

While acknowledging that attacks on the media will likely continue, the authors discuss the future of the media’s relationship with the government from three angles; bleak, burred, and bright, thus concluding that the future will be determined today.

Enter Prof Ngange 

Speaking to the press after the launch, Professor Ngange said the first book was motivated by the description of the media by the US President at the time as the enemy of the people. 

“…given that the strength and power of the media are in the people, discrediting the media in the eyes of the people then you have destroyed the media’s power,” Prof Ngange said.  

Such a book, he said, was an alarm bell that described the confrontational relationship between the media and the government. Prof Ngange also underscored that that does not call for the extinction of one of the institutions by another. 

In this light, he called for co-habitation between the media and the State.  

“…they have to live together and to a lesser extent we talk about collaboration, though that is a very strange concept for people competing for power, in some cases, ferociously in the marketplace of ideas, influence, and power,” Prof Ngange detailed. 

He encouraged journalists to stick to the basic principle of Journalism, which is the truth. 

In the marketplace of ideas, the truth he said, would always prevail “so let the government go in for the truth, become accountable, and transparent, and let the media report the facts and the people will judge who is right and who is wrong”. 

Enter second book

The second book, titled: “Media Coverage of Conflicts in Africa: A Multidimensional Analysis of Mass Media Reporting of the Cameroon Anglophone Conflict: 2016-2024”, is a 401-page work. 

It has 12 contributors and 11 chapters by Professor Kingsley Ngange, Dr Stephen Moki Mokondo and Dr Stephen Ndode.

It has a foreword by Professor Emeritus Laurent-Charles Boyomo Assala. The publication was reviewed by Professor Kiven James, during the launching ceremony. 

Scholars said the book is a detailed and comprehensive well-documented, well-researched, well-written, well-reviewed and peer-reviewed piece of scientific evidence. 

They also said it is void of idiosyncrasies and biases documenting how they have covered the Anglophone crisis in Cameroon to enrich the Cameroon readership and media landscape.  

The authors said the book is vital so that the media does not forget what they have done in terms of framing, escalating and even sustaining this crisis over eight years. 

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0:3197 of Monday August 12, 2024