PhD Student

My academic background is linked to my work as a journalist, which I did even before I studied journalism and organizational communications at Université Assomptcioniste du Congo (UAC) and received my Master's degree in 2010. My work as a journalist enabled to combine methods in journalism (investigation, interviews) with ethnographic field research. The principles of investigation and the choice of resource people, interview techniques, for example, are almost identical and this has really captivated me in my current research on Ebola. 
Currently, I am working on my Ph.D. under the working title “The determinants of the choice of the subject to be covered in a media editorial. Specific case of Beni radios: from endemic war to the Ebola epidemic" within the project: ʺMotile outbreaks: Situating Ebola resurgences in human motilities in Guinea and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)ʺ. - The research project considers different discipline(s) and areas: Social Anthropology, Ebola outbreaks, mobility/motility, global health preparedness and response. A very exciting and very interesting project at the same time since it enables me to meet interesting and passioned people, discover new concepts and access new information concerning the Ebola virus and the mobility of people. My research area is the DRC, precisely in Beni, Butembo and Likati in eastern Congo. In my research project I will explore the influence of the Ebola epidemic on the vast and complex media dynamics in the Beni region in the DRC which caused thousands of victims between 2018 and 2020 and several resurgences resulted from the 10th epidemic in the region.
Apart from my research as a Ph.D. researcher-student at the BNITM. Sometimes when I’m on the field I am also work as a journalist on social policy and civic issues.  I remain passionate about learning and discovering new challenges.

Research interests: Human relations, Ebola, Ethics Studies.

E-Mail: kennedy.wema@bnitm.de