Mobile telephony and the changing patterns of audiences’ engagement with global media in Africa

This article explores the patterns of transnational audiences’ engagement with global media in a digital age, focusing on experiences in Africa. It is based on a study of Nigerians’ interactions with the BBC World Service, and draws on active audience theory and Joseph Nye’s concept of soft power to assess the relationship. Using qualitative content analysis, focus groups and individual interviews, the study examines Nigerians’ use of mobile phones to interact with the broadcaster. It also analyses how the BBC deployed a multimedia strategy to widen its global reach and attract more audiences in its dual role as a news provider and promoter of Britain’s public diplomacy. The impact of digital technologies on participatory programming and audience interactivity—along with the theoretical implications—is also discussed