"Media and politics in the third world": Communication has always been central to politics and mass communications, are the key of modern politics

Le 16 novembre 2011 par IVOIREBUSINESS - "Coup d'etat"-makers are aware of this as civilian politicians.Television centres, radio stations and newspaper

offices are always priority targets in take-over.Let's come to the facts: in 1985 one month after after the liberian presidential elections that tried to turn Liberia into cIvil rule, a liberian army captain called , "KIWONKPA", one of the liberian seventeen soldiers who brought "SERGENT "Samuel Kanyon DOE" to power, entered "MONROVIA", the liberian capital city, closely with rebel soldiers to implement a coup and overthrow PRESIDENT "SAMUEL DOE"!Captain "Kiwonkpa" took over the liberian national radio station and tv(Elbc).IN six hours, most of the liberians rejoiced in "Monrovia's streets, and believed that president "Samuel DOE" was overthrown.Unfortunately, it was short lived, the earlier victorious captain "KIWONKPA" turns sooner victim, because forces loyal to president "Samuel doe" heavily resisted and retaliated.Therefore, "KIWONKPA" was shot dead in the fierce confrontation:Captain "Kiwonkpa" 's coup finally failed....In same trend, from March 2011 to APRIL 2011, the ivorian national radio was the number one target of ivorian rebel soldiers close to "ALLASANE OUATTARA".But they failed over and over again to get the entire control of the ivorian national radio (RTI), because they also met heavy resistance of the ivorian loyal forces close to president "Laurent Gbagbo"....In addition to that crucial reality, a monopoly of the national media does not enable the potential conspirators to control what people think, but at least, it allows them to limit what people know.And that makes it harder for the opposition to mobilise against the new rulers.Entire Control of the media puts the "coup-makers" in the driving seat.A conspicuous example of the "Ivory COAST's turmoil now ,where manipulated ivorian reporters close to president "ALLASSANE Ouattara" have recently sacked great communicators and reporters by the loads, so as to get the entire control of the national tv(RTI) in a propaganda purpose.Generally speaking, the "mass media" refer to methods of communication which can reach large numbers of people at the same time:Television and newspapers are the most important; others are posters, radio, books, magazines and cinema.Moreover, in contrast to opinion polls, the mass media are vehicles of downward communication from rulers to ruled, more than upward communication, from the ruled to the rulers.TO some extent, communication is a broaden platform to reach an efficient network: That means, through a single television broadcast, or a series of newspaper articles, african presidents, generals and prime ministers can communicate directly with the majority of their population.Unfortunately, the major weakness of former president "GBAGBO's regime was lack of efficient international communication from 2000 to 2011.Furthermore, he even failed to strengthen the privatisation process of communication network in the "Ivory Coast" from 2000 to 2011.That could be helpful to his regime, being previously portrayed deliberately through a professional western propaganda, as an african committed leader, who is anti western power structures!As a matter of fact, in the third world, namely in the african countries, national media are less developed and day-to-day, politics takes place within a smaller stratum of the population.Again,however, we can distinguish between the print media and broadcast media.Newspapers are generally elite publications, with circulation confined largely to the metropolis.In the same trend, editors may not operate under strict censorship but they are often fully aware that in a small country, it does not do to make to many enemies:Journalists and editors are on the hit list when repression strikes.In the current ivorian turmoil since APRIL 2011,when president "ALLASANE Ouattara" took over closely with backing of his main allies(USA and european community), some committed ivorian journalists were among those who were imprisoned? JOURNALIST"ABOA" still behind the bars IN abidjan(LA maca, a prison in abidjan), and tortured or who just disappeared or shot dead in the popular district of "YOPOUGON" in Abidjan)...Meanwhile, a traditional interpretation of the role of the media in the third world, particularly in AFRICA is that they contribute to the revolution of rising expectations or raising the people's conscious high...Even people living in remote areas are made aware, through television, of affluent first world lifestyles.This produces impossible demands on african governments to achieve rapid economic growth.When these expectations are frustrated, political instability results such riots and uprisings...On the other hand,it is certainly true that television stations around the world pump out(USA-made tv programmes).Virtually most of the films shown partly in the whole African television are from the north, mainly from the United states of AMERICA.Meanwhile, specially in AFRICA, middle income countries might be able to manage early episodes of "DALLAS" and "Dynasty", a new form of globalisation and americanisation in terms of communication.Down the line, we will come to the conclusion that communication on tv,radio, magazines would certainly strengthen african cultural features! But it's hardly credible to suppose that african viewers could aspire to "dynasty" styles lifestyles through an eventual assimilation or complete brainwash.

(Yves T Bouazo)