Digital Dawn: Toward a Framework for Assessing the Efficacy of ePapers in the Ugandan Press
Abstract
Are electronic newspapers (ePapers) efficacious? Does digitalisation enable newspapers to perform traditional and contemporary roles in developing-world contexts like Uganda? The question begs ready answers. As newspapers globally succumb to digital media technologies concurrent with novel political economy shocks, we lack cogent assessments of their efficacy. Some scholars view dwindling print-copy circulations and readerships, online platforms, news aggregators, and alternative online news sources as portending doom for print newspapers. In Uganda, printed newspaper circulation is falling. Several newspapers have digitised, forming online versions, ePapers, to reach wider audiences. However, media scholarship lacks a framework for assessing their efficacy. The framework we propose–based on a qualitative review of theoretical and empirical literature–combines theoretical resources from technological determinism and critical political economy. It offers three parameters, with corresponding indicators, for assessing ePapers’ efficacy in Uganda’s press: sustaining traditional media roles; widening readership; and revenue/profit generation. Under traditional media roles, indicators are: allowing information access, reader education, and facilitating accountability demands. Under readership, we propose attracting new subscribers, actual ePaper readership, and ePaper cross-referencing. Under revenue generation, we suggest ePaper-usage revenues, and revenue changes (from subscription, advertisement) over time. We recommend mixed methods for empirically testing the framework in and beyond Uganda
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