Exploring Diasporic Media in Africa within the Framework of Social Identity Theory

Abstract

Africans are intensely dispersed across the world due to conflicts, famine, oppression, and search for greener pasture, business, and quest for sound education. Irrespective of their location, Africans tend to retain their affinity, loyalty, and relate with their homelands and ethnic affiliations in manners defined by the reasons for their dispersion. These relationships are in the areas of their involvement in homeland politics (that is characteristically ethnic in Africa), skills and knowledge transfer, cultures and values propagation, international support mobilisation, and support for development efforts. In all, the media facilitates the Diaspora groups’ active and positive involvement in these homeland affairs as it moderates and determines the effectiveness of the relationships. They tend to establish and manage their own media known generally as Diaspora media. This article used the social identity theory to explore the concept of Diaspora media; the various African Diasporic media, and achievements since the 20th century.