Osman Osman is a scholar whose research broadly focuses on the sociology of media, political violence, and the intersection of state power and public discourse. With a geographical focus on postcolonial states, Osman examines how African states, particularly Kenya, leverage news media to construct narratives around terrorism and political violence. His work delves into how media organizations interact with state structures to shape public understanding, often reinforcing state agendas. Drawing on his extensive journalism experience covering terrorist events for international outlets like Al Jazeera English, CNN, and Quartz, Osman offers a nuanced perspective on the relationship between media and political power. His research has contributed to major interdisciplinary journals such as Journalism Studies and Media, War, and Conflict, where he explores the media's role in conflict reporting. Osman earned a master’s degree in media arts and sciences from Indiana University and a bachelor’s in journalism from United States International University-Africa.
Selected Publications
- Osman, O., & Wahutu, J. S. (In Press). Media coverage and activism: Research and practice in Africa. In Handbook of communication in Africa: Theory, research, and praxis. Routledge
- Osman O. (2025): Whose Voices Shape Protest Narratives? Comparing Source Diversity in Kenya’s Digital-Native and Legacy-Affiliated News Coverage, Journalism Studies https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2025.2559390
- Osman, O. (2024). Framing the 2013 Westgate Mall Attack: A Comparative Study of Kenyan and American Media Perspectives. Media War and Conflict https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/17506352241272746
- Wahutu, J. S., Deng, Z., & Osman, O. (2023). Speaking of Africa: Sociology and the Study of Media in Majority World countries. Journalism Studies, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1461670X.2023.2187648
- Osman, O., & Wahutu, J. S. (Forthcoming). The Media and the Rwandan Genocide. In The Routledge Handbook of Religion, Mass Atrocity, and Genocide. Routledge.