IFRA training workshop: “Making the most of newspapers as sources: critical reflections and research methodologies” with Dr. Katharina Oke at OAU

Date: Thursday 11 of July 2019

Location: Obafemi Awolowo University

On Thursday 11 of July 2019, IFRA-Nigeria hosted a methodological workshop at Obafemi Awolowo University entitled “Making the most of newspapers as sources: critical reflections and research methodologies”. The workshop was animated by Dr Katharina Oke (Kings College London, UK) and held at The Faculty of Art of Obafemi Awolowo University. The event was facilitated by Dr. Titus Olusegun (IFRA fellows and lecturer at the dep. of music, OAU). 

About the facilitator

Dr. Katharina Oke has studied Lagos print culture, 1880s-1940s, for her PhD in History. She is currently a Lecturer in Modern African History at King’s College, London.

About the workshop

This workshop offered a critical reflection on the use of newspapers as sources for research in the humanities and social sciences.

First, Dr. Katharina Oke provided a brief overview of the early history of newspapers in Nigeria (and South Nigeria in particular) and the ways in which newspapers have formed part of society. This was drawing on findings from her PhD thesis which looked at ‘The politics of public sphere: English-language and Yoruba-language print culture in colonial Lagos, 1880s-1940s’.

The second part of the seminar provided insights into different methodologies for approaching serial sources such as newspapers and offered an opportunity for some practical reflections on how to use newspaper for research.

Finally, using some current news, Dr. Katharina Oke and the cohort of participants discussed press and news through social medias (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and the new potentiality of studying newsroom and the reception of news articles from the reader perspective.

 

About 30 students from Obafemi Awolowo University attended the workshop, mainly PhD and Master students working in Social Sciences and Humanities and with an interest in using newspaper in their research methodology.