Media, Humans and COVID-19 in Africa: A Complex or Symbiotic Relationship?

ABSTRACT Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Africa had peculiar shared values engraved in cultural and traditional heritages. These values dictated the socio-political and economic ways of life and largely set a precedence for how they were harnessed. The outbreak of COVID-19 caused a paradigm shift in the ways humans in traditional African societies conducted their lives. Africans as well as other people across the globe were forced to conform to the “new normal”, with the media being at the centre of information dissemination and enforcer of values. Findings revealed that media dependence during the pandemic complicated how the human person reacted and managed health issues during the lockdown which was induced by the global health emergency. In view of this, it was recommended that media focuses on the provision of solutions and constructively drive public enlightenment through the effective and factual reportage of issues in the society.