Misinformation
Media & Communication
The Gray Area: Influencers and the Rot of Attention in Cameroon
Poise examines the Cameroonian influencer ecosystem—a sprawling, undisciplined terrain where the term means almost nothing. From beauty merchants to gossip-peddlers, scandal-chasers to TikTok dancers, the writer argues that these figures are either victims of systemic decay or chronic seekers of visibility by any means; either way, they serve a regime's interest in keeping young people numb and distracted.
Stop Promoting Deception: Media Ethics and Misinformation in Cameroon
A critical examination of how Cameroonian media outlets and bloggers have abandoned journalistic standards in pursuit of viral content, using the case of a young entrepreneur whose philanthropic claims and business narrative lack credible verification.
The Cost of Inflated Credentials: On Platform Responsibility and How We Are Named
The writer examines the gap between the titles platforms assign to their moderators and the qualifications they actually possess, using the case of a prominent relationship advice figure whose followers have died by suicide. The piece argues that this inflation of expertise—endemic to social media culture—carries real consequences for vulnerable people seeking help.
The Danger of Being Right for the Wrong Reasons: How Viral Stories Distort Social Truth
The writer examines how unverified or fabricated stories circulating on social media—particularly those depicting extreme cases of gender-based violence and social ills—have become the primary fuel for activism and public opinion, despite lacking factual grounding. Through analysis of source accounts and patterns of virality, the piece argues that activist movements risk undermining their own credibility and effectiveness when they amplify emotional narratives over accurate descriptions of social problems.
The Republic of Facebook, and Why We Need to Lose Our Citizenship
The writer argues that young Cameroonians, particularly urban musicians and cultural workers, have retreated into a parallel economy and advocacy ecosystem built on social media, crowdfunding, and international networks—while ceding formal political and bureaucratic channels to less capable actors. This abdication, born from justified distrust of a gerontocratic state apparatus, paradoxically ensures their own marginalization from the laws and resources that shape their industries.
The Attention Economy and the Collapse of Genuine Discourse
The writer examines how accusations of
Reach Without Influence: Why Social Media Metrics Mask the Absence of Purpose
The writer argues that the pursuit of likes, follows, and engagement metrics has become decoupled from any meaningful intention or value creation on social media. Without a clear editorial direction and mission, accumulating attention becomes an end in itself rather than a tool for building genuine influence.
The Illusion of Influence: Why Follower Count Doesn't Equal Market Power in Cameroon
This piece examines the gap between social media followings and actual influence, arguing that true influencers must create sustained value rather than simply accumulate followers. Using examples from Marques Brownlee to local Cameroonian personalities, the writer demonstrates why influencer marketing remains largely ineffective in Cameroon's limited digital ecosystem.
Reach Without Influence: On Purpose in the Attention Economy
The writer examines the hollow pursuit of likes, follows, and attention on social media, arguing that most users—including aspiring influencers—chase metrics without defining why they are online or what they hope to build. Real influence, the argument goes, comes from deliberate mission, consistent value-creation, and editorial clarity; reach without it is a vulnerable position that often breeds insecurity and professional decay.
Mobilisation as Civic Power: Lessons from the Orange Cameroon Crisis
A 2018 analysis of the #OrangeIsTheNewMafia campaign, in which Orange Cameroon customers successfully pressured the telecom provider to withdraw a controversial 'reserve credit' service. The writer uses this moment of coordinated public action to reflect on mobilisation, coalition-building, and the untapped potential of unified civic movements.