Executive Summary
China’s engagement in Africa has expanded rapidly over the past two decades. Beyond trade, investment, and infrastructure, China increasingly uses media and cultural diplomacy to shape perceptions, strengthen partnerships, and project influence. Through initiatives such as Confucius Institutes, the expansion of China Global Television Network (CGTN) Africa, cooperation with local broadcasters, and targeted cultural programs, China wields soft power to promote a favorable image and influence public opinion and policymaking across the continent.
This 24-month project, titled “Assessing and Strengthening African Media Resilience in Response to Chinese Soft Power”, seeks to study the influence of Chinese media in Africa and develop strategies for local media capacity-building. The project will be implemented in Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, and Ethiopia, covering major regions of Africa with significant Chinese engagement. Through research, media monitoring, stakeholder consultations, policy dialogues, and training workshops, the project aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of Chinese soft power strategies and their impact on African governance, public perception, and media independence.
The project outcomes will strengthen African media institutions, promote critical media literacy, enhance transparency, and provide evidence-based policy recommendations to African governments, civil society organizations, and media stakeholders.
Problem Statement
Chinese soft power in Africa is expanding through media, culture, and educational programs. While it has enhanced diplomatic and economic ties, its growing influence raises several concerns:
- Media Influence: Chinese media organizations, such as CGTN Africa and Xinhua News Agency, provide content aligned with Chinese government narratives. African media outlets increasingly broadcast Chinese-produced programs, influencing public opinion.
- Cultural Diplomacy: Confucius Institutes and cultural programs promote Chinese language and culture, shaping young African audiences’ perspectives. While promoting exchange, they may also limit critical engagement with Chinese policies.
- Information Imbalance: African media often lacks capacity to produce counter-narratives or independently analyze foreign influence. This creates knowledge asymmetry and increases susceptibility to one-sided reporting.
- Political Implications: Chinese soft power can indirectly influence governance by framing policy debates, public perception, and development priorities. Some African policymakers may adopt positions aligned with Chinese narratives without critical evaluation.
- Research Gap: Limited systematic research exists on the effectiveness, reach, and consequences of Chinese media and soft power across Africa. Understanding its influence is essential to maintain media independence, democratic participation, and informed policymaking.
Without interventions to assess, monitor, and strengthen African media capacity, Chinese soft power may continue to shape narratives without adequate local critical engagement, limiting transparency, media pluralism, and informed public discourse.
Goal and Objectives
Overall Goal
To assess the influence of Chinese media and soft power in Africa and strengthen African media institutions and public capacity for informed engagement.
Specific Objectives
- To examine the reach, content, and narratives of Chinese media in selected African countries.
- To assess the impact of Confucius Institutes and cultural programs on African youth, students, and communities.
- To enhance the capacity of African media organizations to produce independent, critical reporting on foreign influence.
- To engage policymakers, civil society, and media stakeholders in evidence-based dialogue on foreign media influence.
- To develop policy recommendations and practical strategies to strengthen African media resilience.
Target Beneficiaries
- Primary Beneficiaries
- African journalists, editors, and media organizations.
- Students and youth exposed to Chinese media and cultural programs.
- Policy makers in ministries of media, education, and information.
- Civil society organizations promoting media literacy and transparency.
- Secondary Beneficiaries
- Research institutions and think tanks studying international relations, media influence, and soft power.
- Local communities indirectly affected by foreign media narratives.
- African governments seeking evidence-based policy strategies.
Project Approach
The project adopts a research-driven, participatory, and capacity-building approach:
- Media Monitoring and Analysis
- Track Chinese media content broadcast in selected countries.
- Analyze narratives, themes, and framing strategies.
- Stakeholder Consultations
- Conduct focus group discussions with journalists, students, and community members.
- Interview policymakers, Confucius Institute staff, and civil society actors.
- Capacity-Building Workshops
- Train media professionals on critical reporting, investigative journalism, and foreign media analysis.
- Conduct media literacy programs for students and youth.
- Policy Dialogues
- Organize roundtable discussions with governments, media regulators, and CSOs.
- Promote evidence-based approaches to foreign media engagement and soft power strategies.
- Dissemination and Knowledge Sharing
- Produce reports, policy briefs, and case studies.
- Publish findings in academic journals and hold public webinars for knowledge dissemination.
Project Activities
- Baseline Research and Assessment
- Map Chinese media presence, Confucius Institutes, and cultural initiatives.
- Conduct surveys to understand public perception and media consumption habits.
- Media Content Analysis
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Conduct interviews with journalists, educators, youth, policymakers, and civil society.
- Document challenges, opportunities, and perceptions regarding Chinese influence.
- Capacity-Building Programs
- Organize workshops for journalists on critical reporting, investigative journalism, and foreign media literacy.
- Conduct youth media literacy training programs in schools and universities.
- Policy Dialogue Workshops
- Convene multi-stakeholder workshops to discuss findings.
- Develop actionable recommendations for media regulations, public education, and governance.
- Research Publications and Dissemination
- Produce research reports, policy briefs, and multimedia content.
- Host webinars, public forums, and community discussions to share findings.
- Final Evaluation and Conference
- Assess project outcomes and impact on media capacity, awareness, and policy engagement.
- Present results in a final regional conference.
Implementation Plan
- Months 1–3:
- Conduct baseline surveys and media mapping in target countries.
- Recruit research staff and assign responsibilities.
- Months 4–8:
- Conduct media content collection and analysis.
- Organize initial stakeholder consultations.
- Months 9–12:
- Launch journalist training workshops.
- Conduct youth and student media literacy programs.
- Months 13–18:
- Host national policy dialogues with government and civil society.
- Draft preliminary research reports and policy recommendations.
- Months 19–24:
- Finalize publications, policy briefs, and multimedia outputs.
- Convene regional conference to present findings and recommendations.
- Conduct endline evaluation to assess project impact.
Monitoring and Evaluation
Monitoring Factors
- Data Collection Monitoring
- Ensure survey and interview data is accurate and complete.
- Track media content collected from Chinese sources.
- Activity Monitoring
- Verify workshops, training, and stakeholder consultations occur on schedule.
- Track participant attendance and engagement.
- Financial Monitoring
- Ensure expenditure matches budget allocations.
- Conduct periodic audits for transparency.
- Communication Monitoring
- Monitor submission of progress reports, updates, and drafts of research publications.
Evaluation Factors
- Relevance – Are project activities addressing African media challenges and foreign influence effectively?
- Effectiveness – Have training programs improved media capacity?
- Efficiency – Were resources used optimally to achieve objectives?
- Outcomes – Did journalists and youth gain skills in media literacy?
- Impact – Has awareness of Chinese media influence increased among communities and policymakers?
- Sustainability – Will media organizations continue critical reporting post-project?
- Stakeholder Satisfaction – Are participants, government agencies, and civil society satisfied with project activities and outcomes?
Budget Summary
- Personnel $XXXXXX
- Research & Field Studies $XXXXXX
- Media Monitoring & Analysis $XXXXXX
- Capacity-Building Workshops $XXXXXX
- Stakeholder Dialogue Workshops $XXXXXX
- Travel & Logistics $XXXXXX
- Monitoring & Evaluation $XXXXXX
- Administration & Operations $XXXXXX
- Total Project Budget: $XXXXXXX
Sustainability Plan
- Institutional Capacity: Media organizations will integrate new research and reporting techniques into standard practice.
- Policy Integration: Governments will use project findings for media regulation and public awareness strategies.
- Community Ownership: Youth and students will continue to apply media literacy skills.
- Knowledge Access: Reports, policy briefs, and online materials will remain available for public and institutional use.
Conclusion
The growing influence of Chinese media and soft power in Africa has significant implications for public perception, governance, and media independence. This project provides a systematic approach to understanding this influence and strengthening African media capacity. Through research, training, stakeholder engagement, and policy dialogue, the project will promote critical reporting, media literacy, and informed governance, ensuring African communities and institutions are better equipped to engage with foreign narratives and preserve independent, transparent, and inclusive governance.
