Niger is situated in the heart of continental Africa, covering 1,267,000 km2. Due to the size of the country, the low literacy rate, and the linguistic particularities of each of the country's 8 regions, radio and television broadcasting play a key role in the dissemination of information. Great importance is therefore attached to implementing and developing appropriate radio-broadcasting and television infrastructures. Nevertheless, one of the problems hindering the development of free media in Niger is the lack of professional training: most private and community media workers have...
Regions: Africa
Until the late 1980s, the only media outlets in Niger were those operated by the State, i.e. the national radio broadcasting service La Voix du Sahel), the national television service (Télé Sahel), a state-run daily (Le Sahel) and 1 weekly (Sahel-Dimanche). The emergence of a pluralistic media began with the introduction of the democratic process in the early 90s. Today, the country boasts 35 privately owned radio stations, 127 community radios, 3 foreign FM radio stations, 6 privately-owned and 2 publicly-owned television channels. Despite the increase in the number of media outlets, the...
The media industry in Tanzania has grown in terms of strength and reach, with the early 1990s seeing the emergence of several newspapers and radio broadcasting stations. The growth of these independent and pluralistic radio stations and newspapers was characterized by an urgent need to move from top-down, statedriven propaganda to message-driven and participatory forms of dialogue and expression. Despite witnessing these dramatic changes in newspaper, television and radio stations in the country, there are very few programmes aired through radio and TV that focus on educating the society...
The media in Botswana has over the years been relatively free, owing to adherence to democratic principles and the freedom of expression which is enshrined in its constitution. The thriving economy and democratic credentials of the country ave made the outside world oblivious of recent events that are regressive and are threatening the image of the country as a shining example of democracy. This has led to most donors seeing no need to assist civil society organizations in the country in facing these disturbing developments.
The media fraternity is however dominated by state...
Media in Malawi has undergone considerable change in recent times. In the electronic media sector, a number of private and community radio stations have emerged, and three television stations are now operational. In the print media sector, aside from newspapers, several general and specialist magazines are now being published. The implication of these developments is that there has been an increase in the free flow of information and a related increase in the number of male and female journalists working for the various media houses. One of the down sides to these developments however is...
Since 1994, radio broadcasting in Malawi has grown in leaps and bounds. There are currently 7 community stations, 5 private broadcasting stations and 6 religious radio stations. The growth has had significant impact on the free flow and diversity of information in the country. This free flow of information has been particularly noticeable on programmes emanating from independent private broadcasters. Like their counterparts in the private print media before them, they have given the public the much needed alternative view on social, economic, political and developmental issues in Malawi....
Ever since the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) took over the leadership of the Southern Africa Journalists Association (SAJA) at the launch in Johannesburg in 2006, gender equality within the media has been a priority. The focus of the Union has been, among other issues, the reduction of sexual harassment cases, enhancement of the status of women journalists, promotion of active participation of women member journalists in union affairs, equal and fair remuneration of journalists, and the safety of journalists, especially female.
Although through ZUJ’s leadership, SAJA...
Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) studies have consistently revealed that women are grossly underrepresented in the media in contrast to men. In 2010 this survey showed that in Africa, 77% of stories in the media reinforced gender stereotypes, almost eight times higher than stories that challenge such stereotypes (5%). The advent of digital media technology, including mobile phones, provides new opportunities for the empowerment of women both in and by the media. As broadcasters seek to engage with audiences in new ways, targeted media capacity building projects are able to highlight...
In the the Republic of Congo, freedom of the press is guaranteed by several laws. While the existing regulatory framework has encouraged the emergence of a multiplicity of media organs, insufficiencies still exist where the training of journalists and media professionals is concerned. In Congo, the main body involved in the training of journalists and media professionals is the Département des sciences et techniques de la communication (DSTC - Department of Communication Sciences and Technology) at the Marien-Ngouabi University in Brazzaville. Although the department has existed since 1980...
Reviewing and raising awareness of the need to adhere to the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct
The Gabonese media landscape comprises a multiplicity of media organs and publications. Where the media is concerned, the National Communications Council is the main regulatory body. On the other hand, the process of self-regulation has yet to be firmly established. A self-regulatory body - the Gabonese Media Observatory - has existed since 2004, but its work has been limited due to a lack of self-regulation instruments which meet with the general approval of media professionals.
In 1995, following the liberalisation of the media landscape, a group of Gabonese journalists...
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