Press Freedom News and Views
Sub-Saharan Africa censors Mideast protests
By Mohamed Keita/CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator
A man sets up a satellite dish in Zimbabwe, where state news is severely restricted on the ongoing protests in the Middle East, but where CNN is still accessible. (AP)
As news of Middle Eastern and North African protests swirl around the globe, satellite television and the Internet prove vital sources of information for Africans as governments fearful of an informed citizenry and a free press such as in Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, and Zimbabwe impose total news blackouts on the developments.
Nowhere is the news blackout more extreme than in Eritrea, where the government has banned independent media since 2001. Typing "Egypt" in the search field of the government news website Shabait returns about 50 results, the most recent and relevant of which is a December 3, 2010, item titled: "Presidents Isaias and Mubarak conduct discussion in Cairo." Eritrean sources told CPJ, however, that satellite dishes in the capital Asmara's rooftops allowed people to follow the unfolding events.
Earlier this month, Equatorial Guinea's information minister, Jerónimo Osa Osa Ecoro, issued a statement accusing those who criticize the 32-year authoritarian ruler Teodoro Obiang's election as the new president of the African Union of failing to "acknowledge the enormous steps" taken by Obiang toward democratization and human rights. Notwithstanding that Obiang won his last national election with 97 percent of the vote amid allegations of poll-rigging, it didn't take long for his claim to be contradicted by a news blackout by the government-controlled national broadcaster RTVGE on protests in North Africa since February 11, according to news reports. Nevertheless, satellite dishes in Malabo allowed most people to access news and information, according to a local source. The same day the blackout started, Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel, editor of cultural magazine Atanga and a blogger with Spain-based online magazine Frontera Digital began a hunger strike that he vowed not to stop until a transitional government ushering democratic reforms was not put in place in Equatorial Guinea.
Flipping the pages of Zimbabwe's government-controlled daily The Herald, Vincent Kahiya, editor-in-chief of the private Harare-based daily Newsday said to me on Thursday: "There is nothing on the international page on what's happening in Bahrain, Libya, and so on." Instead, he noted, "What we have seen is commentary on what they're not reporting." In fact, the ruling Zanu-PF-controlled state media has, among other things, accused the United States, which maintains sanctions restricting travel, financial, and business assets of President Robert Mugabe and members of the ruling Zanu-PF elite, of interfering in Egypt's "rebellion." Another journalist, whose name I have withheld for fear of government reprisals, shared in an e-mail: "I have DSTV [South Africa-based Digital Satellite Television] and I hardly watch Zimbabwean TV or read The Herald." In fact, "CNN etc. is God-sent on these protests," wrote another journalist. "Zimbabweans are talking about it, and there's a lot of interest on those issues," Kahiya said, adding that private newspapers reporting the North African developments were selling quickly.
In Ethiopia, a local journalist who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of government reprisals used the term "silent report" to describe the coverage of the government-controlled Ethiopian Television and Radio Agency, explaining that the station limited newscasters to reading two or three paragraphs without further reporting. Nevertheless, "much of the public is well aware of the issues," the source said, adding that even rural area people had access to satellite TV.
Ethiopian police became apparently angered by persecuted journalist Eskinder Nega's coverage of the protests. Nega, whose weekly columns appear on U.S.-based news forum EthioMedia, was picked up on February 11 as he walked out of a café in the capital, Addis Ababa. He later reported that the Ethiopian deputy commissioner of police allegedly delivered to him a warning from the government for his alleged "to incite an Egyptian and Tunisian like protests in Ethiopia," with his Internet writings. Nega's columns compared and contrasted Egypt and Ethiopia in terms of the military's role in politics, and pro-democracy movements, according to CPJ research.
By Mohamed Keita/CPJ Africa Advocacy Coordinator
A man sets up a satellite dish in Zimbabwe, where state news is severely restricted on the ongoing protests in the Middle East, but where CNN is still accessible. (AP)
As news of Middle Eastern and North African protests swirl around the globe, satellite television and the Internet prove vital sources of information for Africans as governments fearful of an informed citizenry and a free press such as in Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, and Zimbabwe impose total news blackouts on the developments.
Nowhere is the news blackout more extreme than in Eritrea, where the government has banned independent media since 2001. Typing "Egypt" in the search field of the government news website Shabait returns about 50 results, the most recent and relevant of which is a December 3, 2010, item titled: "Presidents Isaias and Mubarak conduct discussion in Cairo." Eritrean sources told CPJ, however, that satellite dishes in the capital Asmara's rooftops allowed people to follow the unfolding events.
Earlier this month, Equatorial Guinea's information minister, Jerónimo Osa Osa Ecoro, issued a statement accusing those who criticize the 32-year authoritarian ruler Teodoro Obiang's election as the new president of the African Union of failing to "acknowledge the enormous steps" taken by Obiang toward democratization and human rights. Notwithstanding that Obiang won his last national election with 97 percent of the vote amid allegations of poll-rigging, it didn't take long for his claim to be contradicted by a news blackout by the government-controlled national broadcaster RTVGE on protests in North Africa since February 11, according to news reports. Nevertheless, satellite dishes in Malabo allowed most people to access news and information, according to a local source. The same day the blackout started, Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel, editor of cultural magazine Atanga and a blogger with Spain-based online magazine Frontera Digital began a hunger strike that he vowed not to stop until a transitional government ushering democratic reforms was not put in place in Equatorial Guinea.
Flipping the pages of Zimbabwe's government-controlled daily The Herald, Vincent Kahiya, editor-in-chief of the private Harare-based daily Newsday said to me on Thursday: "There is nothing on the international page on what's happening in Bahrain, Libya, and so on." Instead, he noted, "What we have seen is commentary on what they're not reporting." In fact, the ruling Zanu-PF-controlled state media has, among other things, accused the United States, which maintains sanctions restricting travel, financial, and business assets of President Robert Mugabe and members of the ruling Zanu-PF elite, of interfering in Egypt's "rebellion." Another journalist, whose name I have withheld for fear of government reprisals, shared in an e-mail: "I have DSTV [South Africa-based Digital Satellite Television] and I hardly watch Zimbabwean TV or read The Herald." In fact, "CNN etc. is God-sent on these protests," wrote another journalist. "Zimbabweans are talking about it, and there's a lot of interest on those issues," Kahiya said, adding that private newspapers reporting the North African developments were selling quickly.
In Ethiopia, a local journalist who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of government reprisals used the term "silent report" to describe the coverage of the government-controlled Ethiopian Television and Radio Agency, explaining that the station limited newscasters to reading two or three paragraphs without further reporting. Nevertheless, "much of the public is well aware of the issues," the source said, adding that even rural area people had access to satellite TV.
Ethiopian police became apparently angered by persecuted journalist Eskinder Nega's coverage of the protests. Nega, whose weekly columns appear on U.S.-based news forum EthioMedia, was picked up on February 11 as he walked out of a café in the capital, Addis Ababa. He later reported that the Ethiopian deputy commissioner of police allegedly delivered to him a warning from the government for his alleged "to incite an Egyptian and Tunisian like protests in Ethiopia," with his Internet writings. Nega's columns compared and contrasted Egypt and Ethiopia in terms of the military's role in politics, and pro-democracy movements, according to CPJ research.
In Djibouti, where a series of protests have erupted since last month, government-controlled state broadcaster Radio Télévision de Djibouti was also censoring news of the North African protests, a local journalist told CPJ on condition of anonymity for fear of government reprisals. However, few Djiboutians watch the channel and most people passionately follow developments through their satellite dishes, the journalist said.
In Gabon, where supporters of opposition supporters have been protesting since André Mba Obame claimed fraud had robbed him of victory in the August 2009 presidential elections and declared himself president, state media's coverage of the North African protests has also been minimal, said independent editor Norbert Goua Mezuï. "I don't even watch the national channels, I do when I stumble on them," he said, "but we rely on France 24, Africa 24, TV5, TF1, and France 2 to tell us what is really happening elsewhere."
In Gabon, where supporters of opposition supporters have been protesting since André Mba Obame claimed fraud had robbed him of victory in the August 2009 presidential elections and declared himself president, state media's coverage of the North African protests has also been minimal, said independent editor Norbert Goua Mezuï. "I don't even watch the national channels, I do when I stumble on them," he said, "but we rely on France 24, Africa 24, TV5, TF1, and France 2 to tell us what is really happening elsewhere."
Mohamed Keita is advocacy coordinator for CPJ's Africa Program. He regularly gives interviews in French and English to international news media on press freedom issues in Africa and has participated in several panels. Follow him on Twitter: @africamedia_CPJ.
Tags: Censored, Eskinder Nega, Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel, Radio Télévision de Djibouti
February 18, 2011 4:08 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
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Elisabeth Witchel
Erwin Arnada
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Joel Simon
Juan Carlos Herrera Acosta
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Karen Phillips
Lauren Wolfe
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Mazhar Abbas
Mike O'Connor
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Muzaffar Suleymanov
Nina Ognianova
Normando Hernández González
Omar Rodríguez Saludes
Ricardo González Alfonso
Rima Marrouch
Robert Mahoney
Rocío Gallegos
Shawn W. Crispin
Shehnilla Mohamed
Sheryl A. Mendez
Sonali Samarasinghe
Tom Rhodes
Victor Rolando Arroyo Carmona
Full author list »
RECENT TAGS
Censored Eskinder Nega Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel Radio Télévision de Djibouti Prageeth Eknelygoda Sandhya Eknelygoda United Nations Attacks 2010 European Policy Center European Union Jean-Paul Marthoz Josef Janning Renate Shroeder Yevgeniya Plakhina Jineth Bedoya Judith Matloff Lara Logan Lydia Cacho Mumtaz Sher Rape
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ACTIVE DISCUSSIONS
Aristegui's dismissal is troubling and inappropriate (9)
Courage in documenting Egypt's revolution (7)
Documenting sexual violence against journalists (5)
Press freedom has its limitations in Bangladesh (4)
Internet freedom on trial in Thailand (3)
As Uganda election nears, fear among reporters (2)
Remembering Philippine prosecutor Leo Dacera (5)
In Polenghi case, autopsy shared but more needed (3)
Reporter goes inside Egypt's Mukhabarat torture regime (1)
Is Chávez promoting free expression? Check the facts (1)
MOST EMAILED
Walter Cronkite's press freedom legacy
Rwandan minister: 'It's OK to be anti-government'
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In Ugandan courts, important press battles
An Iraqi in America: 'Time is like a sword' here
In France, is Sarkozy spying on journalists?
BLOG ARCHIVES
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
In Pursuit of Justice
Watch the video here
Attacks on the Press
Read our survey | Purchase
After the Black Spring
Blog series: Out of Cuba
A Year of Impact
Providing aid worldwide
CPJ Home
Back to Top ^
Research
News Alerts
Protest Letters
CPJ Blog
CPJ Internet Channel
Reports & Publications
Multimedia
Regions
Africa
Americas
Asia
Europe & Central Asia
Middle East & North Africa
Data
Killed in 2011
Imprisoned
Missing
Killed Since 1992
About Us
Frequently Asked Questions
CPJ in the News
CPJ Impact
Write to CPJ
Become a Supporter
Journalist Assistance
Campaign on Impunity
Press Freedom Awards
Jobs at CPJ
Donate Now
Subscribe
RSS Feeds
Email Lists
Contact Us
Committee to Protect Journalists
330 7th Avenue, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10001
info@cpj.org
Tel 212-465-1004
Fax 212-465-9568
Web site content © CPJ. All rights reserved.
Articles may be reproduced only with permission.
--
Toyin Falola
Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
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Department of History
The University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station
Austin, TX 78712-0220
USA
512 475 7224
512 475 7222 (fax)
http://www.toyinfalola.com/
www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa
http://groups.google.com/group/yorubaaffairs
http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
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