News Media Use of ICTs amidst War, Violence, and Political Turmoil in the Central African Great Lakes

Abstract

For the countries of Central Africa, the decade of 1993–2003 was one of war, violence, and political turmoil. The genocide in Rwanda, two wars in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) involving up to nine countries in the region, and ten years of civil war and massacres in Burundi turned the whole area into a battlefield, causing approximately five million deaths (Zacharie and Janne d’Othée 2004). The media and journalistic practices were deeply affected by this conflict that impacted upon all spheres: political, economic, and social (Frère 2007). Conflicts drive protagonists to control the media and to restrict access to information. Meanwhile, they make journalists unsafe, impoverish the population, and prevent audiences from buying newspapers, as potential advertisers vanish. Often, during conflicts, journalistic ethics suffer as propaganda thrives and drives out balanced news.