Social Media, Cyber Battalions, and political mobilisation in Ghana

Gadjanova, Elena / Gabrielle Lynch / Jason Reifler / Ghadafi Saibu
External Publications (2019)

Exeter: University of Exeter

DOI: https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.24383.25766
Open access

A new research report by Elena Gadjanova (Exeter), Jason Reifler (Exeter), Gabrielle Lynch (Warwick) and Ghadafi Saibu (Bayreuth) provides an overview of the mixed impact of social media on politics in Ghana – a country often held up as a shining example of democracy in Africa, with its stable party system, closely-fought elections, and regular peaceful transfers of power. The report draws on over 70 in-depth qualitative interviews and focus group discussions carried out by the authors in Ghana's capital city Accra and Tamale in Northern Ghana between February and July 2019, as well as a custom survey of 1'600 respondents in Tamale and surrounding areas.The study is among the first to examine how citizens engage with social media beyond Ghana's capital and in areas with relatively low digital literacy and internet connectivity. The research was funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) and an impact fund award by Exeter's College of Social Sciences and International Studies.

About the author

Saibu, Ghadafi

Political Science