The African Public Sphere in the Electronic Era

Abstract

In different parts of the world, new technologies serve diverse purposes for different people. They facilitate democracy; they empower the citizens by giving voice to the voiceless; they encourage civil society to contribute to the democratic process; and they assist citizens to hold public officials to account. New technologies encourage the development of a vigorous public sphere in which the citizens engage freely in participatory communication. New technologies contribute to improvements in literacy, help to alleviate poverty and serve as tools for the advancement of environmental sustainability (Iroh, 2006).