Abstract
In French-speaking African countries, especially in West Africa, the press and journalists have been the direct actors in a radical break in the social and political order. Media played a major role in large-scale popular mobilization of unprecedented events. In African countries in general, the wave of democratic transitions gave rise to more or less important compromises and adjustments. In fact, in a democratic society, the media have a public role that they mainly play in questioning governmental actions (Bennet, 2005). This type of journalism is proving to be a valuable instrument for making politics accountable for their actions, guaranteeing the correct use of public funds, preserving public security, denouncing false statements and protecting democracy itself, at different levels of the State, against various forms of private and public corruption. From the Ivory Coast in 2011, to Togo recently in 2020, passing through Senegal in 2012, Burkina Faso in 2014, Benin in 2016, and even the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2019; the new media were a real tool for dethroning important political figures. These new media, especially Mobile Journalism, have animated democratic movements particularly in West Africa. Thus, this explorative study goes beyond the decisive role of mobile journalism in the rise of awareness in West African society to consider the challenges, the obstacles and to make some suggestions for the well-establishment of innovative journalistic approaches in the continent. Today, citizen journalism continuously occupies a privileged role in West African context. This article explores a new form of Mobile Journalism in Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) and Burkina Faso, symbolizing a sort of democratization of information in West Africa. Consequently, focus group interviews with mobile journalism's audience, discussions with media group managers, mobile journalists, as well as media regulatory body representatives have been conducted in order to get the opinions about the difficulties encountered.
Keywords: Mobile Journalism, Mobile flash news, Sidwaya Mobile, FratMat Mobile, West Africa
