
Dr. Manfred A. K. Asuman
Dr. Manfred A. K. Asuman is highly educated, having attended:
- Nelson Mandela University – PhD Media Studies
- University for Development Studies – Mphil Development Studies
- Ghana Institute of Journalism (University for Media, Artis and Communication) – BA Communication Studies
- Ghana Institute of Journalism (University for Media, Artis and Communication) – Diploma in Communication Studies
Teaching Philosophy
As a mass communication, sociology and cultural studies scholar who adopts sociological and critical cultural methods to understanding people’s relationship with media, I focus on cultivating students’ abilities to understand and apply theories and concepts of communication by appreciating how they fit within the scope of everyday social life. At its core, communication and social science are about sending messages in ways that allow the audience draw meaning to make beneficial decisions. Being able to understand and apply decision-making is important for college students, as many of them are beginning to navigate the world on their own. Furthermore, the social science and communication toolkit are a particularly useful set of skills for students. These tools, like critical thinking and qualitative analysis, are often weak points for students when they enter college. Mass communication and social science provides us a unique opportunity to engage students in developing these skills that will serve them well in every aspect of life, especially in their chosen careers.
Empathy is my teaching philosophy, so regardless of the course being online or in person, I recognise that it is important to repeat concepts in different ways, as well as to allow students the opportunity to practice with the concepts while in a supervised setting. Communication and media, particularly in the early courses, does not always present itself as intuitive, but it is. I have found it is necessary to be prepared to give different anecdotes for the same material. I emphasize the importance of not trying to memorize material in my courses, but to engage with it to understand the concepts, theories and the logic behind them. I encourage my students to re-write their notes, as well as to always be critical and proactive to consult other external sources for homework and test assignments. If there are multiple choice questions, I practice going through all the potential answers to see why the right answer is correct and why the incorrect answers are wrong.
As an undergraduate, I attended a teaching focused college where I benefited from professors that took the time to make sure I understood the material, were willing to discuss homework and life during office hours and pushed me to ask questions and pursue knowledge. For me, the best part of teaching is sharing something that I am passionate about, and hearing students respond to it with their own creative perspectives. I thoroughly enjoy seeing students grow in their knowledge and I always strive for students to leave my classroom with a better understanding of the world than when they walked in.
Expertise and Experience
Manfred’s research and teaching focuses on communication and social change, media sociology, and journalism studies. His academic career started at the University for Development Studies in Ghana, from where he moved to the Nelson Mandela University in South Africa as a researcher and tutor. He later moved to the Philip Adler School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Iowa in the USA as a Visiting Research Scholar. Before moving to UCW he was an Assistant Professor and Postdoctoral Associate at The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. Manfred has also been a research co-ordinator for Reseau Solidaire et Participatif, a youth focused communication, participation and social innovation NGO in Gerzat, France. He has also consulted on various communication and participatory communication projects for Oxford Analytica in the United Kingdom and Coconutwork in Luxembourg.
Manfred has published his research in highly ranked journals such as Journalism Studies, African Journalism Studies, Journal of African Media Studies, Journal of Communication Inquiry, Communitas, among others. He has collaborated and led research projects with researchers from the University of Iowa, Nelson Mandela University, University of Michigan, University of Louisiana, Nelson Mandela University, University of Ghana, University of Luxembourg, NLA University College, Durban University of Technology, and others. As an inter-disciplinary scholar Manfred teaches courses in mass communication, media, digital journalism, humanities and sociology. Manfred has written several book chapter and is currently editing his first monograph titled “Communication and Social Change in Africa; Selected Case Studies” which is in production to be published by the Institute of Network Cultures, Amsterdam.
Manfred is a member of the International Communication Association, National Communication Association, Canadian Communication Association, Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association, Interdisciplinary Corruption Research Network and the African Communication Research Network. He has presented several times and has won awards at the annual conferences of some of these institutions.
Publications and Scholarly Activity
Besides these published works, Manfred also has a series of on-going projects which will be published soon.
- Asuman, M. Nutsugah, N. Buatsi, N. and Peculiar, T. (2024), Covid-19-induced Changes to News Gathering and News Production: Practical Experiences from Five Ghanaian Newsrooms. Journal of African Media Studies (In Production)
- Asuman, M, Adjin-Tettey, T, and Segbefia, M. (2023), Safety of Journalists from a Gendered Perspective. Evidence from Female Journalists in Ghana’s Rural and Peri-Urban Media. Communitas. Vol 28, No 1, pp 133-150 https://doi.org/10.38140/com.v28i.7599
- Asuman, M. (2023). Book Review: African Language Media, Edited by Mpofu Philip, Fadipe Israel, and Thulani Tsabango. African Journalism Studies. Vol 44, No 1, pp 75-76 DOI: 10.1080/23743670.2023.2272435
- Asuman, M. and Appiah, A. (2023), social media and Crisis Management During the Covid-19 Pandemic. An Analysis of the Twitter Activity of Five Key Ghanaian State Actors in the First Year of the Pandemic. Journal of Communication, Media and Society. Vol 9, No 1, June 2023.
- Ekdale B, Biddle, K, Tully M, Asuman M, and Rinaldi A. (2022), How special are special issues? An Examination of the Global Disparities in knowledge production in Five Journalism Studies Journals. Journalism Studies Vol: 23, Issue: 15 https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2022.2123846
- Asuman, M. (2022). Book Review: Fantasy, Online Misogyny and the Manosphere by Jacob Johanssen. Journal of Communication Inquiry, Vol 46, No 3, July, 2022 (Online First). https://doi.org/10.1177/01968599221102555
- Asuman, M & Bampoe, H (2021), Dialogic Communications and Online Public Relations Practice; An Analysis of Two Web-Based Platforms of Ghana’s National Communications Authority. Journal of Communications, Media and Society. Vol 7, No 12. Pp. 1-26.http://repository.gij.edu.gh/xmlui/handle/123456789/80
- Asuman M (2021), Book Review – Misogynoir Transformed: Black women’s Digital Resistance. Journal of Communication Inquiry. Vol 46, No 1, January 2022. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F01968599211069523
- Asuman, M (2020), Perception of Males on family Planning, Evidence from the La Dade Kotopon Municipality, Ghana. Research and Reviews: Journal of Social Science. Vol 6, Issue 4 (November, 2020). https://www.rroij.com/peer-reviewed/male-perspectives-of-family-planning-evidence-from-la-dade-kotopon-in-ghana-88923.html
- Asuman, M & Diedong L (2019) Multiplicity of Voices in Community Development through Radio in Fanteakwa District, Ghana. Ghana Journal of Development Studies. Vol 16 (2), pp. 178-198. July, 2019. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/gjds/article/view/188591
Awards
- European Union, Luxembourg Erasmus+ Project Implementation Award - 2023
- International Communication Association, ICA in Africa Grant – 2023
- International Communication Association, Michael Halley Grant – 2023
- International Communication Association, Best Poster Presentation at the 2023 ICA Conference - 2023
- The University of Western Ontario, Faculty of Social Sciences, Postdoctoral Research Grant – 2022
- Michelsen Institute, Bergen, Norway. Research and Travel Sponsorship – 2022
- International Communication Association, Michael Halley Grant – 2022
- Nelson Mandela University, Post Graduate Research Grant – 2022
- Nelson Mandela University, Post Graduate Research Grant – 2020
- Ghana Scholarships Secretariat, Postgraduate (PhD) Research Fellowship. Used to fund my PhD at the Nelson Mandela University - 2019