For years, Jennifer Waits, Paul Riismandel, and I have been blogging about radio in Africa. Millions of people there depend on radio for crucial news and information. When conflict comes to one of Africa’s nations, radio becomes a resource, and then it becomes an issue.
So in Libya rebels rush to control radio in Benghazi. Police in Zimbabwe ban the use of short wave radios. The Voice of America opens up FM signals in the middle of the Mali crisis. Radicals in Somalia forbid the broadcast of music in that nation’s southern region. Human rights groups rush to distribute hand cranked radios in Sudan. South Africans petition for the restoration of a music station that served as a non-state alternative during the Apartheid era.
I did not realize how much attention we have given Africa until I assembled this Google Map of our coverage. Every pinpoint represents a story or group of stories we posted on some African radio conflict or project. Click the points to read the stories and learn more.
