Publishing
Media & Communication
The Decline of Blogging as Cultural Curation
This piece traces how Cameroonian entertainment blogging evolved from a practice of cultural discovery and curation into a fragmented creator economy driven by sponsored content and transactional relationships with artists. The writer argues that the shift from website-based editorial platforms to Facebook-dependent content, combined with the rise of influencer culture and pay-to-play dynamics, hollowed out the industry's foundation and prevented it from maturing.
A Platform Transition: Moving Beyond Social Media Constraints
In June 2021, Poise announced a significant shift from relying on Facebook distribution to building its own owned platform, introducing a paid subscription model. The move was motivated by Facebook's algorithmic suppression of organic reach, which limited access to Poise's long-form content to roughly 25% of its 17,000 followers despite their deliberate choice to follow the brand.
Two Years of Thought: A Letter on Writing, Anonymity, and Community
On PoiseSocial's second anniversary, the writer Wandji Wilfred reflects on producing over 109 articles in that span, driven by a conviction that rigorous social commentary should endure and document culture for future reference. He acknowledges the reader community that has shaped the platform, defends his choice of anonymity as essential to clarity, and signals that deeper expansions are coming when the moment is right.
Two Years of Poise: A Founding Reflection
On PoiseSocial's second anniversary, the founder reflects on the platform's journey from a single post about makossa music to a sustained practice of cultural criticism and personal philosophy. The piece traces the shift from writing as love to writing as accountability, and announces the opening of the platform to additional voices.
On Building PoiseSocial: Naming, Collaboration, and Purpose
The founder reflects on the deliberate choices behind PoiseSocial's name and editorial mission, the organic partnership that shaped the platform, and its evolving role as a gathering space for thoughtful writing in Cameroon. The piece offers candid insight into how intention—rather than formula—guided the platform's early growth.
The Candy Diet: On Media Decline and the Collapse of Intellectual Standards
The writer traces the shift from serious, complex media—novels, documentary programming, investigative journalism—to algorithmically-driven clickbait and lowest-common-denominator content. The piece argues that this is not merely about profit-seeking gatekeepers, but a cultural choice to abandon curiosity itself in favor of simplicity, comfort, and easy stimulation.