Mobile journalism will define Africa's agenda in the Digital revolution

When I was a college student, social media was just gaining traction in Kenya. Facebook, in particular, was then a new and exciting space for virtual interaction that made the world so much smaller. I was a journalism student getting trained for a media industry that was already under pressure from emerging technologies ushered in by the internet. Being online was starting to give people alternative sources of accessing and exchanging information. And this made the media ecosystem ripe for disruption. One of the key features of this disruption was the empowering of audiences. Media users now power the attention economy. And as J Webster notes, their decisions about what to read, watch or share, taken as a whole, create the audiences that sustain media and give them meaning.

It’s against this backdrop that we find many media entities locally and abroad,  struggling to win the attention of audiences who have varied tastes and preferences.  And since the money goes where attention goes, this struggle is proving to be a case of adapt or die for newsrooms and the people involved.  Globally different news organizations are trying various audience engagement strategies with varying levels of success. A lot of investment is going into audience research, particularly data analytics to enable them to understand and respond to the changing habits of their audiences. For example, we are already witnessing the role of artificial intelligence (AI)  in the newsroom.

At one of Canada’s largest newspapers, the Globe and Mail, they are using an AI system called Sophie. Every 10 minutes, Sophi looks at all of The Globe and Mail’s content; at every place, each story is being promoted; and at all the ways the audience values that content. It finds valuable stories that merit greater promotion and updates every page of the website accordingly.

In the neighboring USA, the New York Times - one of the most iconic news brands with a long reputation for quality journalism - has also been experimenting with online audiences. To retain their loyal readers and earn new ones, they have focused on a subscription-first business. The main pillar of this model, according to their strategy report is journalism excellence -  to provide journalism so strong that several million people around the world are willing to pay for it.

Different news organizations in Kenya are also trying to experiment and contextualize some of these models. The recent launch by the Nation of their new brand face - Nation. Africa with a focus on digital storytelling is one such example. But this is a huge investment that can only be shouldered by the largest news organization in East Africa. Smaller news organizations lack such fiscal muscles. 

This year the global corona pandemic has exacerbated the threats facing our local media houses and for some, it looks like this could be the knockout punch. Massive job losses and pay cuts have hit many newsrooms. Back in June, people were shocked to hear of K24 journalists getting sacked in the dead of night via SMS. This was followed by condemnation from other media players and calls for a humane approach to dealing with the crisis. Others like the Kenya Editors Guild also proposed several solutions like tax incentives to media houses and the establishment of a media sustainability fund.

As a communications professional looking at this turbulent media environment, I have had to grapple with the question of where do I fit into this ever-changing media landscape? Where can my skills and talent thrive and what do I need to learn in order to adapt to an ecosystem that is growing larger and more complex every day? One of the key solutions lies in mobile journalism.  Technology may change, but stories don’t  - only how we consume it. And looking at the consumption patterns in Kenya, we can confidently say that the future is mobile

Kenya’s young and expanding population is increasingly spending time online. With mobile adoption the highest in Africa, mobile journalism looks set to dominate the business of news. Major news organizations around the world like Aljazeera’s AJ+ have been at it for a while. And independent journalists have also gone mobile. Self-styled Mojo or mobile journalist, Yusuf Omar of hashtagourstories is a good example. In Kenya, we have Mobile Journalism Africa started by local independent journalists that aim to publish solution-based stories. These storytellers are adopting the use of free online platforms like Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter to publish their content and engage with their target audience. In addition, it allows independent journalists to pursue the type of stories they are passionate about. 

Mobile journalism is also an opportunity for newsrooms to democratize since it can allow many authentic voices to be heard. Any individual with a smartphone in the pocket can use it to record, edit, upload, and share stories right from wherever they are and even give the story a  personal flavor. This flexibility and freedom to use from any location is also a cheaper alternative to running a physical newsroom or studio facilities. But for independent journalists using mobile devices, one of the biggest challenges remains funding. Producing good stories takes time and that needs money. And so it will take a lot of experimenting with different funding models to find what works. 

Meanwhile now more than ever, the world needs accurate, fair, balanced, and authentic voices online to cut through the tide of biased opinions and fake news that have emerged as mobile devices and social media take a more central role in our lives. Social media is giving everybody a voice but the flip side of this is what some call an infodemic. And so how can we spark and then channel the right energy and discussions from online platforms into real instruments of change? 

That is the challenge individual storytellers who understand the impact of stories have to take up. And we can’t wait until things like funding are lined up perfectly. We need to keep learning, experimenting, and adapting to new technologies that will help us tell more engaging, relevant, and impactful stories. And these stories will be invaluable to how Kenyans and Africans in general, define themselves and explain our unique worldview so as to drive our agenda in the global digital economy that is revolutionizing the world. 

P.S: Interested in video storytelling through your mobile device? Then you could find this short tutorial useful.

How to build memorable story characters

We are all natural storytellers. We do it all the time both online and offline, and sometimes they are true, other times lies that we invent or even steal from better storytellers. Even as far back as when humans first started to edge their thoughts in stone, storytelling existed in the form of cave paintings that showed how they perceived their world.  Just like most people, when I am with my family or friends, I often tell and enjoy stories that make me laugh. And I happen to come from a large family, we are 6 siblings. So boredom was a stranger in that house, although sometimes you had to speak over everyone else in order to be heard. But it made me understand early, how stories help us explain ourselves and capture attention.

I have always been interested in how to tell stories, especially through film and photography. That’s why I trained in journalism. But as the saying goes, learning never ends and lately, I have been trying to understand what makes a memorable character, you know the kind that the audiences can relate with? This is one of the most important elements of the story because characters make a story. I am currently reading John Truby’s — the anatomy of a story. It’s a long read but well worth it. His award-winning insights on how to become a master storyteller have compelled me to look at stories through fresh eyes. And to try to understand how a strong narrative is usually built around the hero’s moral and emotional growth. The following are insights and lessons picked up so far that I would like to share. They are useful for both storyteller and audience.

Desire/Want

The best place to start when building our story character is by establishing what the character wants. A want is a character’s visible or outward goal and it’s what influences the plot of the story. Our character has to want something and make a decision to go for what he/she desires. If what the character wants is not clear, then the story is what some describe as dead on arrival. Now let’s consider the following characters from movies popular with a global audience. Their production budgets aside, it’s my opinion that the narratives in these Hollywood blockbuster movies is what endears them to viewers across cultures. And at the heart of each story are strong, memorable characters with clear desires.

In black panther ( here's a recap of the movie to jog your memory), the story explored complex themes like identity, racism, colonialism and globalization vs isolationism. But they did so cleverly through strong character development that engagingly kept the plot in dramatic motion. Once we clearly understand what the character wants, the next step is to consider why the character wants the thing they are going for. What benefit do they attach to attaining their desired goals? Our individual desires and goals usually carry certain meanings either known or unknown to us. And when it comes to building memorable and meaningful characters then we also have to pay attention to the character’s beliefs and needs.

Beliefs

What we believe about ourselves and the world around us informs how we think. And so by establishing a character’s beliefs, we can then start to develop what they want and how they go about getting it. And this is also helpful in theming the story.

Once more let’s consider our black panther characters.The beliefs of these two main characters, set against the background of their upbringing are also what adds dramatic conflict to the story. As the story progresses, we see a clash of values between the two main beliefs. Killmonger believes in attaining his goal by any means necessary which includes violence while T’challa takes a non-violence path.

By clashing the values of our protagonist and antagonist, we can start to notice changes in their beliefs. These changes can either be positive or negative. For example, through Killmonger’s challenge, T’challa’s beliefs evolve and he comes to agree that his adversary was wronged by his father and Wakanda. And this brings me to another point about what the character needs. This simply refers to what the character needs to learn about themselves in order to be whole or balanced. A need can only be fulfilled by learning the truth. Good stories usually start by exposing the lies that the character believes which he needs to realize and overcome.

Character’s need

From our black panther characters, we see how Killmonger is full of anger and hatred which is validated by his experience of social injustice which also informs his violent tendencies. And so while his point of view is justified, the audience is compelled to ponder whether he’s fit to lead Wakanda while consumed with so many negative emotions. He needs to overcome his bitterness.

For T’challa, due to his upbringing, he lacks the same understanding of social injustice as his estranged cousin. And as he grapples with honoring the legacy of his ancestors while building his own, he needs to realize the mistakes his father made and take up the moral responsibility of addressing the world’s larger problems. To his credit, he doesn’t rigidly hold to his old beliefs and in the end, strikes a middle ground between Wakanda’s legacy of isolationism and nonviolent intervention.

In her award-winning book on creating story arcs, Weiland aptly observes the following

Clearly understanding the character’s need is pivotal in great storytelling. And so in creating honest characters that the audience will understand and empathize with, we need to first understand who the character is, his beliefs want, and needs. I think this approach can give our stories more meaning and I hope you find it useful next time you’re producing a story, watching a film, or reading a book. 

What is your latest favorite book or movie character and why? Please feel free to share with me in the comments.

What is your power?

So I watched Project Power recently after I heard it was trending on Netflix. The superhero action flick is one of the streaming giant’s latest productions and has proved to be a hit with global audiences this August. Now while I found the film’s plot and action fitting the mold of most superhero movies, it was the theme of the story that struck me as more interesting and worth discussing here.

For those completely unfamiliar with the movie and are yet to view the trailer (see also bottom of the page), well it’s a sci-fi story that also has a comic-book feel and involves three main characters. An unlikely trio made up of a former soldier played by Jamie Foxx as Art, a disgraced cop called Frank played by Joseph Gordon, and Robin,  a troubled schoolgirl. The three work together to find the source behind a dangerous pill that provides temporary superpowers. Art wants to find it so he can rescue his daughter who’s being used for experimentation by the company behind the pill while Frank wants to stop the crime wave rocking the city of New Orleans as a result of the pill.  Robin is a street dealer selling the power pills and is initially forced into the chase by Art. However, after learning of Art’s kidnapped daughter, she willingly helps to save her. 

Now first I must admit I'm a big fan of Jamie Foxx’s work. He’s a super talented artist as indicated by the tremendous success in comedy, music, and acting he has enjoyed in his long career (what can’t he do?) His stand-ups - unleashed and I might need security are still some of my all-time favorites. In 2005 he scored an Oscar for his portrayal of Ray Charles and released Gold digger with Kanye West, one of the biggest jams that year. And so when watching an artist who’s won a string of major awards including a Grammy, by the way, you expect a good show and I found that in Project Power’s theme.

For impactful storytelling, the theme is very important as it allows the audience to make sense of the decisions and actions of the characters. Simply put, the theme is what the storyteller wants us, as the audience to learn from the story. It’s K.M Weiland, author of award-winning writing guides such as creating character arcs who says that Your story’s theme is what will raise it above the pack, out of mere entertainment into something that sticks with readers, impacts their lives, and maybe even challenges them to grow. 

Rightly titled Project Power, this movie wittingly maneuvers through power as a theme by asking a very simple and interesting question which builds the plot - What would you risk for five minutes of pure power? So as not to spoil it for those yet to watch, let’s just say that the answers are provided via an interesting array of characters who through what they do or say about the power pill symbolize different aspects of power -  greed, lies, violence, and domination on one hand or self-knowledge, acceptance, and altruism on the other. 

Taking the power pill exhibits each individual’s hidden power.  For example a bulletproof skin for the cop. For some, it’s invisibility, super strength, or genetic mutation and for others, the reaction is even deadlier,  like Newt ( Machine Gun Kelly) whose power is thermoregulation but from the look of his apartment and burn scars on his skin, we get a sense that he has no control over his power which ultimately destroys him.  

For most, taking the drug is motivated by narcissistic reasons and this is best symbolized by the company making the drugs. The villains of the story who run the company don’t mind human experimentation with a drug that is obviously dangerous as long they achieve their nefarious goals. Only two characters, Art and Frank take the power pill in order to help someone else.  They do this in order to stop the villains and save Art’s daughter, who’s being held captive for experimentation because she’s a permanent source of the power contained in the pill.  But curiously, during their whole dangerous mission to the underworld,  Robin never takes the pill which makes us wonder what her secret power could be. Yet she still shows so much courage and heroism in helping save the girl. Perhaps her inner strength is enough?

Let’s consider Robin’s character a bit more. She’s a victim of a broken system in a city and neighborhood that barely survived a hurricane. Her mom is sick, they don’t have insurance and her school can’t do anything for her. So she gets into dealing with the power pills to take care of her mom. Here’s a kid who enters a dangerous world of crime controlled by the drug-making company. Which sells to poor and forgotten people in neighborhoods like hers, a dangerous drug that promises exceptionalism - but ends in tragedy for some. Yet through it all, Robin remains determined and doesn't get swallowed up by her turbulent environment. Towards the end of the movie, Art reminds her that she has greatness inside of her and she has to use it. 

And so for a moment, consider your life as a story in which you are playing the leading role or don’t know you are yet. You have desires,  goals, and expectations but something or someone is standing in the way - obstacles and they can be both real and imagined. Your ability to realize your desires against all the odds stacked against you is your power. But if you have not seen or understood your power, then you remain a powerless victim. What do you think your power is? I think mine is using different forms of storytelling like film, photography, and writing to hopefully create a positive impact around the things I feel strongly about. 

In one of my favorite books by Ben Okri - A way to be free - he says there’s no such thing as powerless people. There are only those who haven’t seen and have not used their power and will.