Description
This study investigates how African governments' control of the media landscape influences public engagement with the ICC. Utilizing Google Trends, the research assesses the domestic interest for ICC-related information against a backdrop of government capacity to filter information, formalized as a composite variable created from the V-DEM dataset. From a theoretical perspective that complements Agenda Setting Theory with a novel concept, “justice fatigue”, the analysis highlights four key trends: first, noticeable peaks in ICC interest coincide with critical investigative milestones by the ICC; second, increased attempts at information control by governments typically occur in response to ICC scrutiny of governmental authorities, and this is linked with a decline of domestic interest for the Court; third, in situations where the ICC focuses on rebel forces, domestic interest for the ICC remains high even when governmental control of information is high; fourth, a general decline in ICC interest across all African situations investigated by the Court over a prolonged period of time. Such findings suggest that the digital domain remains a pivotal field of play for government-sponsored narratives about the ICC, while suggesting that the Court should dedicate more attention in engaging with local communities for longer durations.
