Author(s): Zirugo, Danford ; Mutsvairo, Bruce
Date: 2026
Origin: Media and Communication
Subject(s): AI hype; artificial intelligence; institutionalism; journalism; metajournalistic discourse; Sub-Saharan Africa
Document details
FOMO in Sub-Saharan African AI Hype: The Quest for a Decolonized AI Adoption Framework
Description
Based on an abductive analysis of 54 opinion, editorial, and analytical articles published between 2019 and 2025 in nine English-speaking Sub-Saharan African countries, this study examines negotiation of the place of AI within journalism. Conceptualizing AI hype as a form of metajournalistic discourse, the study finds that discussions about AI in journalism in Sub-Saharan Africa are driven by a fear of missing out and a call for a decolonial approach to the technology’s adoption in a way sensitive to the region’s context.
Document Type
Journal article
Language English
Language English
