commbox Global South, Developing Countries

Global South, Developing Countries

Filter

421

Sort by:

Direction:

Download (63)

Information Disorder and Resilience in the Global South: Structural Drivers, Governance, Media Literacy, and Fact-Checking

Meli M. Ncube, Herman Wasserman, Ruhiya Kristine Seward (eds.)

Stellenbosch: Center for Information Integrity in Africa (CINIA) (2026), 123 pp.

"This book illustrates the reality that information disorder is not solely a problem of untrue news or toxic speech; it is structural, entwined intrinsically with politics, economics, technology, and culture. The same pattern-including a weak media system with consolidated ownership, fragile regulat ... ion, and global platforms orientated toward engagement rather than truth-stands out from Africa through to Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. These conditions create societies that are ripe for misinformation and disinformation. Solutions, therefore, must reach beyond technical fixes and get to the deeper structures that dictate how information flows. WHY THE PROBLEM IS STRUCTURAL. The information disorder framework of Wardle and Derakhshan (2017) helps us to understand the various ways harmful content can manifest. However, intent is difficult to prove, and harm usually depends on context. In the Global South, information disorder proliferates in conditions where media operate on shoestring budgets, governments systematically limit access to information, and platforms capture advertising markets. These structural weaknesses set up an environment in which false content can spread easily and trust declines. MEDIA CONCENTRATION AND PLATFORM DOMINANCE. Latin America provides an example of how the old patterns of media concentration are merged with new digital disruptions. The old oligopolies of traditional media still dominate, but now platforms like WhatsApp, YouTube, and Facebook oversee the traffic and revenue that flow to them. Algorithms reward sensational content, while programmatic advertising siphons money away from independent journalism. This is what is currently called ‘digital colonialism’ in Africa: foreign platforms set the rules while local languages and contexts are ignored. Infrastructure projects expand connectivity but deepen dependency when ownership remains offshore. REGULATION: BALANCING INTEGRITY AND RIGHTS. Meanwhile, governments have introduced laws against so-called ‘fake news’, but many are based on vaguely worded provisions that have been used to silence critics. Inconsistency and bias towards Global North languages in platform self-regulation persist. Co-regulation, where responsibility is shared by states and companies under independent oversight, is preferable, but Information Disorder and Resilience in the Global South requires robust institutions and civil society participation. Transparency of algorithms, data portability, and competition measures will be necessary to check the power of platforms. JOURNALISM UNDER PRESSURE. The collapse of the old revenue models and the capture of advertising by platforms have done much to make journalism economically fragile. But this is more than a business problem; it is, importantly, a democratic one. When newsrooms are starved of resources, quality suffers and trust erodes. Hybrid funding models-subscriptions, donations, and philanthropy-help, but these have their limits. Journalism should be considered akin to public infrastructure and supported as such by fair taxation levied on digital platforms, alongside policies to ensure media diversity. FACT CHECKING, MEDIA LITERACY. Fact-checking is indispensable, but it cannot be the sole panacea. It is fraught with political risks, underfunding problems, and maintaining pace with AI-generated output. Programs on media and information literacy show promise, particularly for children, but their effects quickly fade without reinforcement. The Sri Lanka case study further established that practical skills, such as keeping passwords safe, are retained, while habits for verification involving more complexity slowly deteriorate over time. Media and information literacy must be embedded within school curricula and championed through parenting; it must be placed in a local context. SIX PRIORITIES FOR ACTION. To construct resilient information ecosystems, what is required is effort at six points: 1. Support independent journalism with sustainable funding and fair regulation. 2. Incentivize platforms, not just their content, to reduce the spread of harmful material. 3. Localize moderation and infrastructure to counter digital colonialism. 4. Integrate MIL into education and assess long-term impacts. 5. Strengthen networks of fact-checking and connect them with literacy programs. 6. Encourage epistemic diversity through promoting local languages and knowledge systems." (Conclusion, pages 121-122) more

Download (70)

Quadrennial Report 2022-2025: Multi-Donor Programme on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists

Antonia Eser-Ruperti, Ka Kio Mok, Xu Jing, Olivier Van Bockstael (eds.)

Paris: UNESCO (2026), 63 pp.

"[...] the Multi-Donor Programme on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists (MDP) has proven critical in providing long- and short-term responses to the threats against information integrity. It strengthens the rule of law through empowering judges, prosecutors, and parliamentarians in prote ... more

External Link (188)

Google Scholar (218)

WorldCat (235)

Decolonising Approaches to Users and Audiences in the Global South: Context, Theory and Method

Tarik Sabry, Winston Mano, Andrea Medrado (eds.)

London: Routledge (2026), xvii, 334 pp.

"Including original essays and contemporary case studies spanning Africa, Middle East, Latin America, and Asia, this book provides a nuanced double critique of both local and West‑centric approaches, pushing back against historically extractive audience research logics that have marginalised globa ... more

External Link (156)

Google Scholar (158)

WorldCat (178)

De Gruyter Handbook of Media and Social Change in the Global South

Kehbuma Langmia (ed.)

Berlin: De Gruyter (2026), xii, 564 pp.

"The birth of the newspapers, radio and television in the 19th century brought various interconnected social, behavioral and cultural changes in the lives of the colonizer and the colonized in the economically ‘developing’ nations. Then in the 20th century and now the 21st century, the birth of ... more

Google Scholar (134)

WorldCat (172)

From Rural Village to Smart Village: Digital Connectivity for Development

Heather E. Hudson

Routledge (2026), 192 pp.

"This book investigates how the rise of information and communications technologies is transforming life for Indigenous communities and those living in rural and developing areas. The global reach of the internet and the proliferation of mobile phones, broadband and social media have created an inte ... more

External Link (156)

AI is here. Are we ready?

Eva-Maria Verfürth et al.

D+C: Development and Cooperation, issue 4 (2026), pp. 31-58

"AI is already having a profound impact on our daily lives. The key question is who controls the technology. It is not only in conflicts that AI accelerates the spread of deceptively realistic fakes and makes it harder to distinguish reliable information from manipulation. At the same time, it opens ... more

External Link (29)

Smartphone Distribution Alone Will Never Close the Gender Gap

Wayan Vota

ICTworks, August 11 (2026)

"Surprise! Giving smartphones to women doesn’t work. A rigorous study from Tanzania tracked women who received smartphones through a distribution program and found that only 34% still possessed their handsets after 13 months. Let that sink in. We’re achieving a 66% failure rate on the most basic ... metric possible. The reasons mirror every failed technology intervention I’ve witnessed over two decades in this field. Women lose smartphones through device theft, technical breakdowns, forgotten passwords they can’t reset without computer access, and social restrictions within households. Rural women predominantly receive secondhand feature phones as gifts from male family members, while men upgrade to new smartphones. This hardware gender divide creates what researchers call “complex patterns in work redistribution.” Men transition from unpaid work to formal employment opportunities enabled by smartphone access, while women often shift into unpaid positions. We’re not just failing to close the gender gap—we’re potentially reinforcing existing inequalities by shifting unpaid labor burdens to women. The regional data exposes the limitations of our current approach. South Asia exhibits the world’s highest gender gaps in mobile technology access, with a staggering 32% mobile internet gender gap that has remained virtually unchanged since 2017. In India, 67% of men own mobile phones compared to only 33% of women—a 34-percentage-point gap that constitutes nearly half the level of male phone ownership. The barriers aren’t primarily economic. Research reveals that income and women’s empowerment have similar explanatory power for predicting mobile phone ownership, suggesting that normative and economic constraints are equally important. Phone usage can raise questions about girls’ “purity” before marriage, while social norms dictate that married women’s primary responsibility is household care, leaving few opportunities for socially acceptable “productive” phone use. The WhatsApp gender gap data reveals the same pattern. Women are 38% less likely than men to use internet-based messaging in India, rising to 50% less likely in rural areas. Even when women gain access to smartphones, they use internet services less frequently than men and for narrower ranges of activities, citing safety concerns, affordability constraints, and poor connectivity experiences." (https://www.ictworks.org) more

Download (65)

Launch of the Commbox Open Access Database: Managing Knowledge in Media Development

Michael Unland, Meli Ncube, Ivana Bjelic Vucinic, Christoph Dietz

Aachen: Catholic Media Council (CAMECO) (2026), 19 pp.

"The commbox combines technology with what I would call a human touch. The platform benefits from digital tools, but it is shaped by people who have spent decades working with media development, communication for social change, journalism support, community media, development communication, and inte ... more

Download (73)

The Routledge Companion to Global Photographies

Lucy Soutter, Duncan Wooldridge (eds.)

Oxford: Routledge (2025), xxiii, 419 pp.

"In response to widespread demand for more knowledge and insight about contemporary photographies beyond Western centers of production and dissemination, this volume provides a transnational discussion, grounded in dialogue between authors and editors from diverse locations and contexts. Ecological ... more

Download (59)

Pathways to Inclusion: Advancing Civil Society’s Role in AI Governance: Evidence from and for the Global Majority

Paola Gálvez Callirgos

Geneva: Globethics Publications (2025), 58 pp.

"This policy brief investigates the role of civil society on AI Governance with particular attention to the Global Majority. The research question explores whether civil society serves as an effective counterbalance to concentrated power in the AI ecosystem to ensure AI systems reflect diverse publi ... more

Download (112)

Measuring Digital Development. Facts and Figures: Focus on Landlocked Developing States
Deep Insights

Geneva: ITU (2025), iv, 33 pp.

"Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) face unique development challenges. Higher transportation costs, trade barriers, and limited connectivity impede economic integration. LLDCs rely on neighbouring countries for access to trade routes, resulting in delays and higher costs. These countries also ... more

External Link (246)

Google Scholar (237)

WorldCat (235)

The Palgrave Handbook of Global Digital Journalism

Bruce Mutsvairo, Kristin Skare Orgeret (eds.)

Cham: Palgrave Macmillan (2025), xxi, 444 pp.

"This book responds to mounting calls to broaden the theorization of digital journalism, addressing critical questions about an emerging yet rapidly expanding area of study, and presenting multiple entry points and approaches that help us understand digital journalism better. Seeking to establish it ... more

External Link (291)

Google Scholar (233)

WorldCat (249)

Learning, Digital Skills, and the Global South

Jeffrey James

Cheltenham (UK); Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing (2025), vi, 122 pp.

"With our modern world relying more and more on Internet-based technologies, this timely book takes a renewed look at the ever-increasing digital divide between developing and more technologically advanced countries and the resulting impacts on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Jef ... more

External Link (164)

How would a sub-$30 smartphone affect Africa?

James Barton

Developing Telecoms, November 27 (2025)

"African consumers in particular struggle with the cost of 4G-capable devices - the GSMA’s recent Mobile Economy Africa Report for 2025 found that there is still a significant affordability gap, with around 58% of Africans remaining offline because smartphones are too expensive. Together with majo ... more

Google Scholar (272)

WorldCat (247)

Digitaler Kolonialismus: Wie Tech-Konzerne und Großmächte die Welt unter sich aufteilen
Deep Insights

Ingo Dachwitz, Sven Hilbig

München: Beck (2025), 351 pp.

"Das Versprechen der Digitalen Revolution ist die Heilserzählung unsererZeit. Dieses Buch erzählt eine andere Geschichte: Die des digitalen Kolonialismus. Statt physisches Land einzunehmen, erobern die heutigen Kolonialherren den digitalen Raum. Statt nach Gold und Diamanten lassen sie unter mensc ... more

Download (65)

When Fact-Checking Is Not WEIRD: Negotiating Consensus Outside Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic Countries

Otavio Vinhas, Marco Bastos

International Journal of Press/Politics, volume 30, issue 1 (2025), pp. 256-276

"This study unpacks the emerging framework of detection, verification, and correction of falsehoods developed by fact-checkers outside Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic countries. We explore a series of semistructured interviews carried out in several languages with thirty-seve ... more

Download (52)

Inclusive and Secure Artificial Intelligence: A Global Perspective on Policy and Technical Developments
Deep Insights

Saiph Savage, Lili Savage

Stuttgart: Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa) (2025), 84 pp.

"As AI systems are developed and deployed, they often reflect and reinforce dominant cultural norms, marginalizing non-Western languages, epistemologies, and communities. This report explores the systemic risks associated with algorithmic bias, digital colonialism, and cultural homogenization, while ... more

External Link (220)

Google Scholar (231)

WorldCat (198)

The Routledge Companion to Journalism in the Global South

Bruce Mutsvairo, Saba Bebawi, Eddy Borges-Rey (eds.)

London; New York: Routledge (2024), xxiv, 491 pp.

"Responding to mounting calls to decenter and decolonize journalism, The Routledge Companion to Journalism in the Global South examines not only the deep-seated challenges associated with the historical imposition of Western journalism standards on constituencies of the Global South but also the opp ... more

External Link (222)

The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2024

Matthew Shanahan, Kalvin Bahia

London: GSMA (2024), 91 pp.

External Link (167)

Tackling Disinformation: A Learning Guide

Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2024)

"Tackling Disinformation: A Learning Guide is aimed at helping those already working in the field, or directly impacted by the issues, such as media professionals, civil society actors, DW Akademie partners and experts. It offers insights for evaluating media development activities and rethinking ap ... more

Measuring Digital Development. Facts and Figures: Focus on Landlocked Developing States Deep Insights

Digitaler Kolonialismus: Wie Tech-Konzerne und Großmächte die Welt unter sich aufteilen Deep Insights

Inclusive and Secure Artificial Intelligence: A Global Perspective on Policy and Technical Developments Deep Insights

Measuring Digital Development. Facts and Figures: Focus on Landlocked Developing States
Deep Insights

Digitaler Kolonialismus: Wie Tech-Konzerne und Großmächte die Welt unter sich aufteilen
Deep Insights

Inclusive and Secure Artificial Intelligence: A Global Perspective on Policy and Technical Developments
Deep Insights