Unpacking the African media typology: Perspectives from journalists in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.

This article focuses on operationalizing the African media typology, a framework that categorizes African media systems based on the type of political leadership in each country, by examining journalists' perspectives in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. Using a 2019 survey of 424 journalists, the study explores how journalists perceive the role of news media in promoting democratization, development, and press freedom within distinct political and media environments classified as pragmatic progressive (Kenya), pragmatic authoritarian (Uganda), and civil society (Rwanda). Findings reveal that while journalists across all three countries generally view media as positively contributing to economic development, infrastructure, human rights, conflict resolution, and peace, significant differences exist regarding media's role in democratization and press freedom, with Kenyan journalists expressing more optimism than their Rwandan and Ugandan counterparts. The study also highlights that media ownership structures influence journalists' perceptions of media's democratizing role, underscoring the complexity of applying Western-centric media theories in African contexts and the need for further research to refine the African media typology.