Interview with Prof Admire Mare

Admire Mare holds a PhD in Journalism and Media Studies from Rhodes University. His thesis explores how politically engaged youth use Facebook as a platform for political action in a hybrid and democratic regime, and his study population was drawn from youth organisations in South Africa and Zimbabwe. This work with young people has stood him in good stead, and he now holds the role of associate professor in the Department of Communication and Media (CAM) at the University of Johannesburg. Admire has published two co-edited and co-authored books: Participatory Journalism in Africa: Digital News Engagement in the Global South (with Hayes Mabweazara) and Media, Conflict and Peacebuilding in Africa (with Jacinta Maweu). His research focuses on media innovation and entrepreneurship, platformisation of news and journalism, relationship between publishers and platforms, integration of artificial intelligence in African newsrooms and journalism ethics. On the media studies front, Admire focuses on social media studies, mis/disinformation studies, surveillance studies, digital campaigns, media and democracy, media and conflict studies, youth studies, social movements in the digital age, and political communication in the Global South. He is the founder of Dinari Mentorship Programme, the main thrust of which is to empower young people to reach and exceed their full potential. Admire is an accomplished research fundraiser, having received funding for various initiatives and research projects from Osisa, Codesria and the Social Science Research Council among others.