Countering Media Bias: The Role of Social Media Influencers in Reframing African Realities: A Content Analysis of Wode Maya’s Videos

Abstract

This study aims to examine how Ghanaian YouTuber Wode Maya counters mainstream media bias by reframing African realities through digital storytelling, thereby contributing to media democratization and the decolonization of African narratives. Anchored in Agenda-Setting and Framing Theories, the study employed qualitative content analysis of nine videos published between 2017 and 2025. The analysis focused on identifying dominant themes, framing techniques, and counter narratives within Wode Maya’s content. The findings revealed three overarching themes: heritage and identity, everyday innovations, and natural assets, collectively framed as "Reclaiming African Pride and Potential." Wode Maya’s use of cinematic visuals, affirming language, and participatory storytelling reorients Africa’s image from dependency to agency. His framing techniques such as visual grandeur, dialogic framing, and participatory tasting challenge deficit-based portrayals, foreground local voices, and foster Pan-African consciousness. The study’s originality lies in its integration of Agenda-Setting and Framing Theories within a digital influencer context. It demonstrates how social media creators function as alternative media actors and presents an innovative framework for understanding how digital storytelling enables cultural reclamation, promotes authentic African representation, and supports the democratization of global media discourse.