Jamie Hitchen

Mar 21, 2024 | journalofdemocracy.org | Nic Cheeseman |Jonathan Fisher |Idayat Hassan |Jamie Hitchen

The popular social media app, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance and used by 170 million Americans, is raising national security questions about data privacy and malign foreign influence. The Chinese Communist Party is deploying such digital technologies for surveillance, propaganda, and repression — and to strengthen their autocratic regime. The following Journal of Democracy essays explore the connections between social media, digital technology, and dictatorship.

Aug 21, 2023 | worldpoliticsreview.com | Jamie Hitchen

When Sierra Leone’s new parliament met for its swearing-in ceremony on July 13, the fact that only one MP from the opposition All People’s Congress, or APC, was in attendance did not reflect the party’s performance in the country’s June 2023 general elections. Instead, it reflected their lack of faith in the credibility of the election’s declared outcome.

Jun 1, 2023 | aljazeera.com | Jamie Hitchen

Ahead of the June 24 election, a rematch of the 2018 vote, familiar issues of identity and economic stagnation are also competing on the ballot. By Jamie HitchenPublished On 1 Jun 20231 Jun 2023Freetown, Sierra Leone – On April 23, President Julius Maada Bio and Kandeh Yumkella danced together at a public function in Freetown, the Sierra Leonean capital, effectively signalling the start of the 2023 election season in the West African state.

May 1, 2023 | worldpoliticsreview.com | Jamie Hitchen

On June 24, Sierra Leone’s 3.3 million voters will head to the polls for elections that will determine their next president, parliamentary representatives and local councilors. And if recent elections are a reliable indicator, turnout will be high: The country’s last three polls have seen an average participation rate of 82 percent. Those voting in the presidential election will do so with a degree of familiarity with the major contestants.

Feb 28, 2023 | foreignaffairs.com | Idayat Hassan |Jamie Hitchen |Joshua Kurlantzick

In This Review In This Review WhatsApp and Everyday Life in West Africa: Beyond Fake News How is social media changing West Africa? This first-rate collection of essays focuses on the end-to-end encryption messaging software WhatsApp, taking on such disparate topics as its adoption by political parties in Gambia, Ghana, and Nigeria; WhatsApp usage among elderly Nigerians; and the fashion industry’s use of the software for marketing.