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Prof. Adwoa S. Amankwah

Associate Professor of Communications
Faculty: IT & Communication Studies
Department: Communication Studies
Academic Area(s): Sustainable Communication, Digital Media, ESG and CSR, Culture and Media Ethics
Email: [email protected]/[email protected]
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Prof Adwoa Sikayena Amankwah is an Associate Professor of Media and Communications. She has close to two decades worth of pedagogical and industrial experience in research, teaching and community service, including the training of both journalism and communication scholars, as well as practitioners. She works at the nexus of journalism, digital media and communication, culture, ethics, corporate social responsibility and sustainability. Her research interests span AI, digital media technologies, political communication, language, culture, media ethics and sustainable development. In the context of artificial intelligence, Prof Amankwah’s work is particularly relevant in exploring how emerging technologies and new media shift the dynamics of communication; for instance, how digital tools, data-driven platforms and AI-infused media systems affect journalism practices, public discourses and audience engagement in Africa.

As a researcher, she was a member of the Global Risk Journalism Hub (2021 – 2025) – a research network with representation in over 30 countries in Africa, Europe, America, Latin America and Asia during the peak of the Covid ’19 pandemic. The output from that research collaboration resulted in the publication of a Routledge Research in Journalism book titled: ‘Ecologies of Global Risk Journalism: Conceptualising Local Journalism in an Era of Deep Disruptions’. Together with other researchers from sub-Saharan Africa, they contributed a chapter on ‘Doing Journalism Research in times of a contagious global health crisis: methodological dilemmas and reflections from Sub-Saharan Africa’.

Furthermore, she has ample experience in research grants administration on various projects having served as the primary co-investigator on the UKRI project titled: Promoting Women’s Participation in Women’s Transformation through Popular Arts in KusaalSpeaking Communities in Ghana for the Culture for Sustainable and Inclusive Peace (CUSP Network+), a project that galvanized young girls and women in selected deprived districts in the Upper East Region of Ghana to aspire towards leadership for social transformation in their communities. Currently, she administers community enhancement projects aimed at enhancing the lives and livelihoods of both children and marginalized adults in deprived communities and institutions as part of term projects she undertakes with both undergraduate and postgraduate students of her Corporate Social Responsibility classes annually. She sees this as part of her informal social contract in line with her vocation and academics.

As an educator, Prof Amankwah’s teaching philosophy encapsulates an amalgamation of theoretical concepts enlivened with practical insights that aim at resolving societal developmental problems. The annual CSR Projects undertaken by both her postgraduate and undergraduate students attests to this philosophy. Furthermore, she has also served as a reviewer for the International Journal of Communication in California, the Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society (JICE) as well as the Legon Journal of Humanities among others.

Administratively, Prof Amankwah also has experience in nurturing and managing new and existing academic departments as well as faculties of universities as she has served as both Head of Communications Studies Department and Dean of Faculty of Humanities, both at the Christian Service University College, Kumasi and at the UPSA.

Prof Amankwah is also an academic programmes assessor with the Ghana Tertiary Education Council (GTEC), where she assesses both undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes for the Commission. She was also a member of the Ashanti Regional Media Advisory Committee of the National Media Commission (NMC). She was instrumental in building the capacity of media practitioners and journalists from the middle to the northern sector of Ghana.

As a capacity builder, she also organizes workshops and seminars for corporate bodies in the areas of Digital Media and Communication, Political Communication, Speech and News Writing, Editing and Designing as well as conducts research in journalism ethics and political communication for political actors and institutions.

She also has a considerable number of publications and articles (indexed in top-rated journals) to her credit. She is currently an Associate Professor of Communications at the Department of Communication Studies, University of Professional Studies, Accra, Ghana..

Prof Amankwah holds a doctorate degree in Communication Science from the University of South Africa, a Master of Arts and post-graduate diploma degrees in Communication Studies, both from the University of Ghana and a Bachelor of Educational Foundations degree (with specialisations in English and French) from the University of Cape Coast. Additionally, she is a certified Further Education specialist in Media and

Communications from the General Teaching Council of Scotland in the United Kingdom.

 

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS (REFEREED JOURNAL ARTICLES)

  1. Horsu, I. Opare, D. A. Amankwah, A. S. & Kyei, E. K. (2025). Adinkra Symbols and Political Communication: Analysing President John Mahama’s Inaugural Apparel on 7th January, 2025.. International Journal of Language and Literary Studies. 7(6).61-71. http://doi.org/10.36892/ijlls.v7i6.2296

 

  1. Abubakari, H., Amankwah, A.S., Opoku Mensah, A. (2024). Communication through Popular Culture: Analysing a googi performance on early marriage among the Kusaas of Ghana. Language and Communication. 99, 90-106. Elsievier. Available at:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langcom.2024.09.001

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S. (2024). Role of Digital Media as Political Communication Tools in Elections: A Study on Political Science Students at a Public University in Ghana. Connectist:

Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences. Vol. 66, 1-27. Istanbul University Press. DOI: 10.26650/CONNECTIST2024-1332250.

 

  1. Demuyakor, J, Avenyo, S, & Amankwah, A. S. (2024). Social Media for COVID-19 Era Information Collection and Dissemination: A Case Study of Three Tertiary Hospitals in Ghana. Journal of Digital Media & Interaction. Vol. 7, No. 16, pp. 73-94. DOI:

10.34624/jdmi.v7i16.35953.

 

  1. Abubakari, H., Amankwah, A. S., & Mensah, A. O. (2024). Kusaal Folktales:

Communicative Tools for Preserving Indigenous Cultural Values in Ghanaian Marriages.

Folklore, Taylor and Francis, 135(2), 276–

  1. https://doi.org/10.1080/0015587X.2024.2347731

 

  1. Demuyakor, J, Avenyo, S & Amankwah, A. S. (2024). COVID-19 vaccines and vaccinations coverage on news portals: Framing, Tone, and Source Analysis. Communication and the Public. Sage, UK. Pps.1-8. DOI: 10.1177/20570473231225299

 

  1. Amankwah, A.S.; Adu Gyamfi, P. & Oduro, A, N. (2022). Cultivating Communication Resilience as an Adaptive-Transformative Process during a Global Pandemic: Extending the Purview of the Communication Resilience Theory. International Journal of Communication. 16:5626-5646.

 

  1. Hasiyatu, A., Assem, I, S. & Amankwah, A. S. (2021). Framing Of Covid-19 safety protocols in Kusaal Health Musical Communication: Language and Literary Analysis.

Language and Communication, Vol 81, Nov 2021, pps. 64 – 80. Elsevier.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langcom.2021.09.002

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S. & Mbatha, B. T. (2021). Interactivity gratifications: Millennials’ motivations in using new media technology for political communication about elections.

Communicare: Journal for Communication Sciences in South Africa. pp107- 127. Vol. 40. No.1. July, 1. https://journals.co.za/journal/comcare

 

  1. Gyamfi, P. A., & Amankwah, A. S. (2021). Effective communication during a global health crisis: A content analysis of presidential addresses on the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana.

Journal of International Crisis and Risk Communication Research, 4(2), 193-220.

https://doi.org/10.30658/jicrcr.4.2.1.

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S. & Mbatha, B. T. (2019). Unlocking the Potential of New Media Technologies for Political Communication about Elections in Ghana. Communicatio: South African Journal for Communication Theory and Research. Taylor and Francis.

https://doi.org/10.1080/02500167.2019.1639782

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S., Assibey-Bonsu, G & White, P. (2017). Media expose of judicial corruption in Ghana: Ethical and theological perspectives. Legon Journal of Humanities. 28(1):1-9. Available at https://www.ajol/infwebo/index.php/ljh

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S. (2016). Winning the electorate at any cost: Assessing the viability of new media technologies as political communication tools in election. Journal of Communication, Media, and Society (JOCMAS), Vol. 3, No. 1, October.

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S., Adade Yeboah, A., Assibey Bonsu, G., & Opoku Agyemang, K. (2016). An investigation into the methods of cartoonists as social communicators in Ghana. Journal of Applied Science, Arts and Theology, JASAT, Vol 1, Issue 1

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S. (2016). Brown envelope journalism in Ghana: A sociocultural perspective. Journal of Communication, Media, and Society. Vol. 4, No. 1.  May Edition.

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S. & Assibey Bonsu G. (2012) Gendering the Agenda: A Look at the FrontPage Photographs of a National Newspaper, International Journal of Business Management and Economic Research, Vol 3(6), 641-645 Available online at www.ijbmer.com/ ISSN: 2229-6247.

 

  1. Adade Yeboah A., Ahenkorah K. & Amankwah, A. S. (2012). The Tragic Hero of the Classical Period. English Language and Literature Studies; Vol. 2 No. 3.

 

  1. Adade Yeboah A. & Amankwah, A. S. (2012). The Tragic Hero of the Post-Classical Renaissance.  Studies in Literature and Language. Vol 5, No. 3, December edition.

 

BOOK(S) & BOOK CHAPTERS

  1. Mabweazara, H. M., Munoriyarwa, A., Adejanu, A., Amankwah, A. S., Matsilele, Ogola, G., & Cheruiyot, D. (2025). Ecologies of Global Risk Journalism:

Conceptualizing Local Journalism in an Era of Deep Disruptions in Routledge Research in Journalism. (eds.). Volume, I., Mutsvairo, B., Babawi, S., Heinrich, A & Castillo, A. Routledge, Taylor and Francis. Oxon. ISBN:978-1-032-55572-0 (hbk). Pps. 226 – 240.

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S.; Abubakar, H., & Opoku Mensah, A. (2025). Popular Arts as Communicative Tools for the Eradication of Gender-based Violence and Child Marriage in Ghana in Cultures of Sustainable Peace: Conflict Transformation, Gender-based

Violence Decolonial Praxes.(eds). Yohannes, HT; Phipps, A., & Sithole, T. 121 – 137. Multilingual Matters. Available at www.channelviewpublications.com

 

  1. Abubakar, H., Amankwah, A. S.; & Opoku Mensah, A. (2025). Promoting Women’s Participation in Social Transformation through Popular Arts in Kusaal-Speaking

Communities in Ghana in Cultures of Sustainable Peace: Conflict Transformation,

Gender-based Violence Decolonial Praxes.(eds). Yohannes, HT; Phipps, A., & Sithole,

T.Pps: 179 -195. Multilingual Matters. Available at www.channelviewpublications.com

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S. (2020). Evolution of newspaper readership to online platforms in

Ghana: Case of Old Wine in New Wineskins? ISBN-13:9786202564410, KS

Omniscriptum Publishing Available at: https://www.amazon.com/Evolution–newspaperreadership–online–platforms/dp/6202564415

 

 

ONLINE AND PRINT MEDIA PUBLICATIONS

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S. (2020). https://www.graphic.com.gh/business/business–news/upsa–bridgesskills–mismatch–unemployment–through–html graphic.com.gh

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S. (2019). How New Media can be used to spark interest in elections among young Ghanaians. Available at: http://theconversation.com/how–new–media–can–be–used–tospark–interest–in–elections–among–young–ghanaians–127288

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S. (2019). The ICT4AD Policy in retrospect: Roadmap for deploying digital technologies for governance. Daily Graphic, Page 40, Thursday, August 22nd edition. https://www.graphic.com.gh/features/the–ict4ad–policy–in–retrospect–roadmap–for–deployingdigital–technologies–for–political–communication–and–html

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S. (2019). UPSA produces professional market-ready graduates. Daily Graphic, Page 28, Thursday, July 18th edition.

 

 

  1. https://www.myjoyonline.com/opinion/2019/May–3rd/new–media–technologies–a–potentforce–for–political–communication–on–elections–in–php Accessed 3/o5/19

 

  1. https://www.graphic.com.gh/features/features/new–media–technologies–a–potent–force–forpolitical–communication–on–elections–in–html

 

 

 

 

SELECTED THESIS/DISSERTATIONS EXAMINED

 

  1. Paul A. Kwode – Fake News and the Political Economy of the Media in Ghana: The Era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution – Phd Thesis – 2022

 

  1. Fortune Tella – A Conceptual Framework for Social-Media Crisis Communication to build Stakeholder Relationships before, during and after a Crisis …Phd Thesis, 2023

 

  1. Kelly M. Makola – The Appropriation of Digital Platforms for Youth Political Engagement in Local Government Elections: The Case of Ivory Park, Johannesburg – MA Dissertation, 2022

 

 

 

SELECTED CONFERENCES & WORKSHOPS

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S. (2025). Conference Speaker on sub-theme AI and Inclusive Media Futures: Challenges and Opportunities in the Global South under major theme: Inclusive Communicative Futures: Socio-economics, Cultures and Technologies in the Changing Global Landscape on Bi-annual International Conference on Telecommunication and Digitality (BICTaD2025), 21 – 23 October 2025, Pretoria.

 

  1. Amankwah, A.S., Baah-Ofori, R., Demuyakor, J., Segtub, M., Abudulai, I, J. & Avenyo,
  2. & Zillah Boye-Doe (2024). Digital Media Framing of The Corporate Social

Responsibility Strategies of Mining Companies for Environmental Sustainability in

Ghana: The Case of Anglogold Ashanti, 9th International Conference on Business Management and Entrepreneurial Development (ICBMED 2023), from 24th April 2024 – 25th April 2024 on the theme: ‘Sustainable Business Practices in Developing Economies: Navigating Uncertainties in a Digital Transformation Era.’

 

  1. Demuyakor, J., Amankwah, A.S., Baah-Ofori, R, Segtub, M., Abudulai, I, J. & Avenyo, S. (2024). Effective Team Communication in the Digital Workspace: Some Evidence from Three Public Universities in Ghana, 9th International Conference on Business Management and Entrepreneurial Development (ICBMED 2024), from 24th April 2024 – 25th April 2024 on the theme: ‘Sustainable Business Practices in Developing Economies: Navigating Uncertainties in a Digital Transformation Era.’

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S. (2023). Promoting Women’s Participation through Popular Culture in

Kusaal Speaking Communities in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Panel Discussant on Conflict Transformation. CUSP Network Plus Workshop. Tomreik Hotel, Accra: 2nd May 2023.

 

  1. Demuyakor, J. & Amankwah, A. S. (2023). Black Propaganda or Solution-Oriented Journalism? Online News Portals’ Framing of Cedi Depreciation in a Post-COVID ’19

Era. Business Growth, Structural Change and Economic Development in Periods of

Economic Crises. 8th International Conference on Business Management and Entrepreneurial Development (ICBMED, 2023), Organised by the University of Professional Studies, Accra 26th April 2023 – 27th April 2023.

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S. (2023). Sessional Chair – Information Technology and Digitalisation.

8th International Conference on Business Management and Entrepreneurial Development (ICBMED, 2023), Organised by the University of Professional Studies, Accra26th April 2023 – 27th April, 2023.

 

  1. Amankwah, A.S.; Adu Gyamfi, P. & Oduro, A, N. (2022). Cultivating Communication Resilience as an Adaptive-Transformative Process During a Global Pandemic: Extending

the Purview of the Communication Resilience Theory. National Communication Association, 17th – 20th November, Louiseville, USA.

 

  1. Hasiyatu Abubakari, Ida Sodoke Assem & Adwoa Sikayena Amankwah. (2021). Framing of Covid-19 Safety Protocols in Kusaal Musical Health Communication: Language and Literary Analysis. Presented at the 4th School of Languages Conference (SOLCON IV), November 3rd-5th, University of Ghana, Legon.

 

  1. Presenter & Panel Chair on Covid ’19 impact session in Mediated Communication,

Public Opinion and Society section of the International Association of Media and

Communication Researchers (IAMCR, 2021 Nairobi) Conference, 11th – 15th July 2021.

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S., Danquah, E. & Asare, M. (2021). Influence of selected global memes on the news agenda of online media on Covid ’19. Conference Paper for Mediated

Communication, Public Opinion and Society Session – Covid 19 impact, International

Association of Media, and Communication Researchers (IAMCR) 2021 Nairobi Conference, 11 – 15 July.  https://iamcr.org/node/17301

 

  1. Adu-Gyamfi, P. & Amankwah, A. S. (2021). Effective Communication of Information to the Public During a Global Health Crisis: Content Analysis of Presidential Addresses on the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ghana in the session Improving risk communication, Health communication at the 71st Annual ICA Virtual Conference on Engaging the

Essential Work of Care: Communication, Connectedness, and Social Justice, 27th – 31st

May 2021. Available at: https://ica2021.cadmore.media/Category/af277f71–31ea–44c88dd9–7958cef93344

 

 

  1. Cheruiyot, D; Mare, A; Amankwah, A. S; Mastilele, T & Adeyanju, A. (2021). Risk of

‘disconnection’ in the age of infodemics: Rethinking disinformation and journalism in

Sub-Saharan Africa in the panel presentation on cross-cultural Approaches to Identifying Current Pressures on Digital Journalists Covering COVID-19. A Project of the Global

Risk Journalism Hub. Global Communication and Social Change at the 71st Annual ICA

Virtual Conference on Engaging the Essential Work of Care: Communication, Connectedness, and Social Justice, 27th -31st May, 2021. Available at – https://ica2021.cadmore.media/Title/8b67f2e9–20d5–4b18–b116–d7598f383475

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S. (2021). Glocal Webinar on ‘The Era of the New Normal in University Education: Digital Education Practices and Strategic Communication’ organized by the Dept of Communication Studies, UPSA on 28th January, 2021.

 

  1. Chairperson – Parallel session on ‘Digital media uses and applications,’ at 2nd Biennial Africa Regional Conference of the International Communication Association on 7th November 2018 at University of Ghana, Legon.

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S. (2018). Optimising interactivity of new media technologies for political communication: The case of Ghana’s 2016 elections at 2nd Biennial Africa Regional Conference of the International Communication Association on 7-9th November 2018, at University of Ghana, Legon.

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S. (2017). Stakeholders’ forum on Digital Migration. Digital Migration – The Basics and Regulatory implications. Programme organised by the National Media Commission and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Kumasi, 29th November 2017.

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S. (2017). Digital migration workshop organised by the National Media Commission for Ashanti Regional Media Advisory Committee members on 4th November 2017 at the Miklin Hotel, Kumasi.

 

  1. Amankwah, A. S. (2016). National Media Commission workshop for media personnel in the Ashanti Region. Journalism ethics and political communication in an election year, at the KNUST School of Medical Sciences on 31st March 2016.

 

 

Professional Experience

  • Programmes Assessor – Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, Ghana
  • Research Supervisor & Assessor – Doctoral Students – UPSA, UNISA, University of Johannesburg, University of Professional Studies, Accra
  • Project Advisory Committee Member, Justice Sector System – USAID
  • Co-Investigator – Culture for Sustainable and Inclusive Peace, (UKRI-sponsored CUSP+ Project)
  • Principal Researcher – Global Risk and Journalism Hub (GRJH), Melbourne, Australia
  • Member & Resource Person – Ashanti Regional Media Advisory Committee, National Media Commission (NMC), Ghana
  • Customer Relations Personnel – Marks and Spencer PLC, United Kingdom
  • Media Liaison Officer – Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT, AITI-KACE, Accra
  • Journalism Intern – JOY FM
  • English & French Tutor – Prempeh College, Kumasi.

 

Professional Affiliations

  • Member – International Communications Association (ICA)
  • Member – International Association for Media and Communication Researchers (IAMCR)
  • Member – Communication Educators Association, Ghana (CEAG)