E-Media Tidbits

Colleen Taugher, via Flickr (CC license) Rwanda aims to become a tech hub of Africa. Might this yield media diversity that could help prevent future ethnic violence?

Here's some context from On the Media: "In the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the media played a critical role in stoking the violence that caused hundreds of thousands of deaths. To prevent further conflict, the Rwandan government has placed restrictions on the nation's private media. A [new] proposed press law would legally enforce a journalistic code of ethics and require reporters to be licensed."

While western journalists may see journalistic licensing as heavy-handed, it's important to consider the unique, direct role that Rwandan media -- including many journalists -- played in coordinating genocidal activities in 1994. That's crucial context.

...But would licensing journalists make much difference if anyone -- even in Rwanda -- can become a citizen journalist, or at least participate in media?

Furthermore, Rwandan journalists generally lack experience and training, according to a new report cited by the Kigali New Times: "Of the 392 journalists from 34 private and public [Rwandan] organizations involved in transmitting information, only 77 (19.6 percent) have a university degree in journalism and or communication. The remaining join the media by virtue of luck and therefore lack experience."

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These days, mobile technology is fast proliferating throughout Africa. People use cell phones and other mobile devices to do far more than just talk. While mobile blogging, discussion forums, and podcasting may be relatively rare in Africa at this time, technology is being put in the field that would eventually allow these channels to augment and perhaps even rival broadcast and print media in the not-too-distant future.

Here are some points to consider about mobile technology in Rwanda:

• Mar. 17, 2007:AllAfrica reported, "Rwanda has already invested heavily in fiber optics, to be laid up and down the county's hills and roads. ...Yet the most difficult stage of internet connectivity is 'last mile' connection; connecting individuals homes to the network. ...While computers in a classroom can easily share the same connection, houses in a village cannot. WiMax, a relatively new technology and already used in parts of Rwanda, has the potential to bring mass access to high-speed Internet in rural areas,"

• Mar. 5, 2007: The New York Times reported that the U.S. company Voxiva "has built a system that lets [Rwandan] health workers send reports by cell phone directly from the field. [That system] now connects 75 percent of the country's 340 clinics, covering a total of 32,000 patients."

• Aug. 1, 2006:The Guardian reported that under the current Kagame administration's Vision 2020 plan, Rwanda intends to become the region's information communications and technology hub by 2020. More analysis from WorldChanging.

• Aug. 31, 2006: Mobile Africa (a very interesting site to watch) reported that Terracom rolled out an advanced wireless data network to several Rwandan towns.

• May 6, 2005: Mobile Africa reported that MTN Rwanda (a South African telco) launched a cell based rural pay phones in Rwanda. Shortly afterward, MTN Rwanda became an Internet service provider as well.

I understand and respect the Rwandan government's desire to prevent media from once again becoming a powerful tool of hate speech and genocide. However, perhaps in the long run the diversity of voices provided by a robust participatory communication/media system might prove to be a more effective and less corruption-prone deterrent to horror than centralized control and licensing of professional journalists.