[FoME] Buch "The Media and Conflicts in Central Africa"

[Christoph Dietz]

Marie-Soleil Frère:
The Media and Conflicts in Central Africa
Boulder, CO: Rienner, April 2007, 288 p.
ISBN-13: 978-1-58826-489-3 Hardcover $52.00
ISBN-13: 978-1-58826-465-7 Paberback $22.50
http://www.rienner.com/viewbook.cfm?BOOKID=1596&search=conflicts 
 
This in-depth investigation of the role that local news media play in
Central African conflicts combines theoretical analysis with case
studies from nine African countries: Burundi, Cameroon, the Central
African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial
Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, and Rwanda. 

Each case study-a comprehensive discussion of media influences during
the conflict and their impact on the peace process-is introduced by a
short contextual essay. Enriching the exploration, a chapter by
Jean-Paul Marthoz (former director of information at Human Rights Watch)
focuses on the ways in which the media in the global north cover crises
on the African continent. 

The book contributes greatly to a better understanding of the complex
forces at play-and identifies ways that may contribute to strengthening
the positive dynamics and mediating the negative ones. 

Marie-Soleil Frère is research associate at Belgium's National Fund for
Scientific Research and also professor of journalism, specializing in
the African media, at the University of Brussels. She is an associate
expert for the Panos Paris Institute, supporting media in central
Africa. Her recent publications include Presse et démocratie en Afrique
francophone. 

CONTENTS: 

Introduction. 
Burundi: The Media During War, the Media for Peace. 
Democratic Republic of Congo: Providing Information in a War-Torn
Country. 
Rwanda: Journalists Before, During, and After the Genocide. 
Republic of Congo: The Press Among the Militias. 
Central African Republic: A Fragile and Ill-Used Media Sector. 
Chad: Media Resistance in the Midst of Turmoil. 
Cameroon: The Media Between Protest and Submission. 
Gabon: The Press Facing the Bongo "System". 
Equatorial Guinea: A Media Sector Under Lock and Key. 
African Conflicts in the Global Media-J.-P. Marthoz. 
Conclusion.