Global Media and the End of the Nation-State: Myth or Reality?

Abstract

Debates about the influence of international media moguls on feeble African nation-states in particular often focus on whether the end of state sovereignty is a hyperbolic myth or a literal truth. This paper argues that, far from being an either/or question, contemplations of the phenomenon can be effectively enhanced if we adopt a middle-ground. Such a posture requires that we examine the dialectic between so-called global media and the nation-state within the orbit of critical theories such as Marxist political economy, in understanding their implications for sub-Saharan African states.