History of the Mozambican Public with Mário M. da Fonseca

History of the Mozambican Public: A Contibution to Understand Post-Colonial Audineces, presented by Mário M. da Fonseca.

His presentation sought to discuss approaches to understand post-colonial audiences, with focus to Mozambique, ancient Portuguese colony. With no audience studies tradition in Mozambican academic field to support the study, he discussed the epistemological and methodological options on how history of audience and the public could contribute to understand post-colonial audiences. The presentation looked also to the public of the period before the media to theorize the material condition under which the first Mozambican media operated, as a pathway to understand who the media targeted and its approaches to audiences. The study assumption was that understanding the historical conditions under which the Portuguese colonial media operated would also allow scholars to understand colonial and post-colonial audiences as we progress to the understanding of the actual Mozambican audience. The final aim of the presentation was to share theories, approaches and historical episodes to start a conversation on colonial and post-colonial audiences.

Mário M. da Fonseca is a Lecturer at Eduardo Mondlane University, Journalism Department and Director of Center of Communication and Marketing at the same University. He is a PhD Student at Rhodes University (South Africa) now writing his thesis in audiences in Mozambique; holds a Master´s Degree in Social Politics for Sustainable Territory Development by Bologna University (Italy) and a Degree in Journalism by Eduardo Mondlane University (Mozambique).

Presented over Zoom February 16th, 2023, 1:30-3:00pm EST.