Sòrò-Sókè: A Framing Analysis of Creative Resistance During Nigeria’s #EndSARS Movement

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Please, see the attachment for comments.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Please, see my ratings above

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Reviewer comments

The study is relevant and provides an important perspective on artivism/activism and how it can be used to reframe negative narratives about important social issues through digital platforms.

 

I make a few suggestions to help improve the article.

 

• Consider using “art forms” instead of artworks when referring to the different art forms used in the analysis.
• Justify the choice of each art form/artworks and where they emanate from. For example, in terms of engagement, provide the statistics and evidence for how much the garnered a lot of social media engagement
• The section that details the four key functions of framing and how they relate to the works by artivists belongs to the findings or discussion section which is missing in the article. The issues/connections made could have been arrived at after an analysis of the data/artworks.
• There must be a discussion section which discusses the findings in a thorough manner and linking it to the theory used.
• The transcript of the skit included must be removed. The summary provided is enough. If the author wants to still include the transcript, it could be added as an appendix and not in the main text.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The manuscript "Sòrò-Sókè: A Framing Analysis of Creative Resistance During Nigeria’s #EndSARS Movement" aims to highlight how social activism and resistance against repressive authorities are being carried out today, using social media in combination with artistic expression from both well-known and anonymous (digital) artists. This bypasses traditional media and offers the public an alternative interpretation of reality.

The main contribution of this paper is recognized in two aspects: first, it provides insight into the ways resistance is offered to dictatorial regimes that the Western public is little or scarcely informed about through global media; second, it emphasizes the significance of digital activism, especially in areas where mainstream media is under the total control of authoritarian authorities. In addition to the highly relevant theme, the strength of this paper lies in its clear presentation of the political and social circumstances in which the work was created, as well as the clear presentation of the analyzed material, which strongly illustrates the subject matter of the paper.

When it comes to the details of the scientific paper, the manuscript is certainly relevant and aligned with the theme of the journal it was submitted to. The references are recent, except for those pointing to specific historical events or significant theories, which was unavoidable. However, I believe the reference list could be richer – the author(s) have used exclusively works related to research on the subject of their paper in the context of Nigeria. Such an approach is expected and desirable in order to shed light on past circumstances and highlight the social context. However, the authors could consider including other works that dealt with similar themes but relate to different circumstances, not just those from Nigeria. This would help position their research more broadly. This is a suggestion, not a requirement.

The methodology of the paper is clearly presented and later specifically applied in the analysis section. The methodology based on framing theory is wisely chosen, as it fully served its purpose in the analysis of the three specific examples. Additionally, the authors clearly applied the elements of framing theory to each of the three selected examples for analysis. The authors also addressed the stated goals. In general, the structure of the paper is clear and easy to follow, with each new section clearly building upon the previous one and providing expected answers. In the conclusion, the results are repeated, but now they are also linked to the general goals set by the authors. What could be another, also a non-binding suggestion, is that the authors in the conclusion refer more specifically to the five goals they set, i.e., to clearly highlight each of them and the way they fulfilled them through the analysis.

 

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 4 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

COMMENTS

The manuscript “Sòrò-Sókè: A Framing Analysis of Creative Resistance During Nigeria’s #EndSARS Movement” contributes to contemporary literature on the use of artworks in driving social activism.  I commend the author/s for the well-written and engaging article. However, I have a few observations for the author’s attention and correction.

Citations

1. There is no citation for the chronicle of the historical protests in Nigeria in the introduction.
2. Lines 448-473- These are strong assertions that require citations.

Grammar

1. This legacy traces back to the colonial era. is traced back
2. Line 86-87: However, this lack of oversight and accountability soon led to widespread

abuses and over time. lack

• Line 172: the brutality and injustice and by that the artworks. Insert comma after injustice

1. Line 240: The selected artworks will be examined to assess their role. Reported speech is more appropriate since the manuscript is a report of an already concluded study.
2. Line 409: this initiative invited artists to create works onsite to raise awareness and funds
3. for the cause. Capitalize T at the beginning of the sentence.

• Line 459: one of the most powerful visual symbols to emerged from the #EndSARS movement.
• Line 468: which is to be effective from 4 p.m. but later extended to 9 p.m

1. Line 488: The exact figure of casualties from that night could not be establish.
2. Line 512: Its global spread after it was by shared by popular figures
3. Line 512- 514: Its global spread after it was by shared by popular figures like Rihanna, Odion Ighalo and others including recreations such as by Victoria Chiamaka at the 2021 Miss Africa outfit in Russia and Bovi Ugboma during Headies 2021 award ceremony. Revisit this statement

 

 

Methods

The author/s did not specify how the search for the artworks were conducted. Was there any keyword/s used in searching for artworks on Twitter, what is the search timeframe, and how many artworks were retrieved before the selection of the three significant artworks used for analysis? These details are important and should be included in this section.

 

Discussion of findings

The findings of this study were not discussed in relation to previous results on related studies. The section should be included.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The manuscript requires editing for grammar and punctuation.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf