Kamili, Jean-Paul PalukuNyamboga, Erneo NyakundiNyaole-Kowuor, Rosemary2024-08-122024-08-052024-08-122023Jean-Paul, P. K., Erneo, N. N., & Rosemary, N.-K. (2023). New Technologies and Journalistic Practices at the Time of COVID-19 in Africa. Advances in Journalism and Communication, 11, 281-296.328-4935https://repository.daystar.ac.ke/handle/123456789/4990.2Journal ArticleThis article aimed to show how new information technologies have influencedand innovated journalism practice during COVID-19 in terms of collecting,processing and disseminating news and information. The study wasliterature based. A literature-based study primarily relies on existing published literature rather than collecting primary data through experiments orsurveys. The findings reveal that the management of new information technologieshas led to the rise of infodemia, a phenomenon of misinformationthat disrupts the informational ecosystem due to the prevalence of erroneousor misleading news. As a result, the media’s role as a watchdog is compromised.Infodemia has become the most prominent dimension of this challenge,with traditional media struggling to maintain their status as reliablesource of information amidst the influence of amateur journalism on socialmedia. The traditional media plays a crucial role in covering COVID-19 butfaces challenges in producing and disseminating accurate information due tothe specialization of journalism and the shortage of specialists. The emergenceof new categories of journalistic practices, including terrorist journalism,diversionary journalism, ideological journalism, and journalism as abusiness, poses a major threat to the credibility, trust, and timeliness of real news. New technologies, particularly social media, have filled the void left by traditional media and facilitated the spread of fake news and rumors. Despite the challenges, information and communication technologies have brought innovation to journalistic practices in raising awareness against COVID-19 in Africa. The study provides several recommendations based on its findings. Traditional media outlets in Africa are recommended to prioritize hiring and training specialist journalists to cover health-related topics, establishing measures to combat the spread of fake news and rumors related to COVID-19, continuing to adapt to the use of new technologies in disseminating information, upholding ethical standards in reporting, and prioritizing public health awareness and prevention. Lastly, the study suggests the need for further research to better understand the impact of new communication technologies on journalistic practices in Africa in the context of COVID-19.enNew TechnologiesTraditional MediaJournalismCOVID 19 PandemicInfodemiaArticle