Abstract
The text messaging application WhatsApp has been heavily criticized for acting as a vehicle for the spread of misinformation and unsubstantiated rumour, leading, in some parts of the world, to violence and even death. But the closed nature of WhatsApp groups has presented a structural problem as a subject for credible social science research. A collaborative project between the Universities of Bedfordshire (UK) and Sierra Leone has tracked messaging in an experimental student WhatsApp group using critical discourse analysis in order to generate a deeper understanding of discursive influences in a fragile society. It asks whether the affordance of a WhatsApp group necessarily amplifies offline polarizations and explores routes to consensuality in a divided post-conflict state. It concludes that more robust interventions by group administrators could foster free speech while avoiding the need for intrusive regulation from outside agencies.
Key words – social media; discourse; rumours; WhatsApp;ethno-regional;divisive
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 82-104 |
| Journal | African Conflict and Peacebuilding Review |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 19 Nov 2020 |
UN SDGs
This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
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SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Keywords
- Media and Society
- Social Media
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