Independent Ghanaian cineastes, who are often classified as “amateurs,” have come under a barrage of criticism from film critics, scholars, and audiences for stunting the growth of the Ghana film industry with their productions. These critiques are mainly directed at the dominant thematic concerns such as witchcraft and occultism, as well as their technicalities and expressions, which also include poor storylines, issues of misrepresentation, and others. This article interrogates how independent filmmakers and their respective productions have shaped the video-film industry in Ghana. Though there have been a considerable number of scholarly works on independent film productions in Ghana, the literatue in this area has commonly overlooked or dismissed the contributions of individual film production to the Ghana film industry. Relevant historical documents and critical conversations with industry stakeholders and scholars have engaged with significant secondary literature in this area. Whilst this paper does not lay claim to any exhaustive treatment of the subject of individual film productions and the Ghanaian film industry, it offers critical and initial inroads into that unexplored field. Within this framework, this scholarship elicits critical reflections, debates, and new interests rather than uncritical conclusions within the field of individual film productions in Ghana. Despite the narrative and technical deficits of video films, independent film producers may have sustained the Ghana film industry from a near collapse since the 1980s. It is crucial to recommend that effective cultural policies and professional training are significant in guiding and shaping the production of films in Ghana.

Keywords: Ghana, film industry, individual filmmakers, productions, video-film.

The introduction of COVID-19 vaccine met with varying degrees of acceptance and hesitancy in different regions of the world, despite the fact that vaccination is an evidence-based method of disease prevention. Since refusal to be vaccinated will ultimately lead to the widespread of the disease, it is necessary to look at factors that could foster vaccine hesitancy so that the acceptance rate of the vaccine can increase. This study is anchored on agenda-setting theory, which believes that media messages are powerful and create awareness, increase knowledge and shape audience behaviour. The aim of the study was to ascertain the rate of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance/hesitancy among civil servants within Benin Metropolis, Edo State, Nigeria and the role the mass media played in this process. This study used a cross-sectional quantitative study and employed a structured questionnaire to obtain data from 300 participants. Findings indicated that the acceptance rate of the COVID-19 vaccine was 77% (n=230) while 60% (n=124) showed some hesitancy. Factors for the hesitancy were vaccine safety, incomplete protection and lack of trust in the government. Despite several media campaigns on the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine, people were not persuaded.

Keywords: COVID-19, Healthcare, Hesitancy, Media, Methods, Vaccine.

Standing at a bloated figure of 66%, South Africa’s youth unemployment needs interventions. One such intervention is afforded by radio, especially with 50% of South Africans regularly tuning into radio. Skills transfer and transitional employment are possible through such an intervention. This paper explores the role that radio could play in promoting youth employment, by engaging with the work of Jurgen Habermas, Paulo Freire, as well as Community Development theories. It draws from qualitative data collected from youth aged 15 to 30, and from staff and administrators at a small community radio station, ‘Mahikeng FM’. The paper analyses broadcasting contents of the radio station to promote youth employment. It thus argues that community radio in collaboration with various stakeholders can have a significant role in enhancing youth experiences.

Keywords: Community radio, employment, youth, community development, public sphere