War & Conflict

Newsletter n°14/07.05.08
Investigative Journalism Leads to Arrests and Raids for Ugandan Newspaper
The bimonthly independent newsmagazine The Independent has been in the government’s spotlight for the past month following investigations the paper led into illegal detention centres in the suburbs of Kampala, Uganda. Consequently, the paper’s staff is getting accustomed to police raids and arrests. Nevertheless, managing editor Andrew Mwenda said to RAP 21, “Of course we are publishing as usual,” inferring that it will take a lot more to silence his publication.

Newsletter n°10/10.04.08
One Voice, One Man: The State of the Media as Zimbabweans Await for Change
The parliamentary election results confirm that Zimbabweans have voted for change after Mugabe’s 28-year reign that ushered in both independence and later socioeconomic strife. The results of the presidential election have yet to be fully disclosed though it is clear that he did not pass the 50 percent barrier needed to bypass a run-off. Concurrently, the Zimbabwean private media continues to be left with minimum reporting space as the incumbent government is faced with the harsh reality of a possible sweeping defeat.

Newsletter n°10/10.04.08
Exclusive View of Trauma Counseling for Kenyan Journalists
In the aftermath of the late December post-election violence in Kenya a series of trauma counseling and trainings led by International Media Support (IMS) have been provided around the country to assist journalists, and especially freelancers, in coping with the past, covering the present, and preparing for the future. RAP 21 received exclusive insights from journalists participating in the trainings as well as from individuals leading them.

Newsletter n°18/16.09.05
CONTENT: Dealing with religious tension
In November 2002, the city of Kaduna in northern Nigeria erupted into racial riots leaving over 100 people dead. The riots began after an article in the national newspaper “ThisDay” questioned Muslims groups that had condemned the Miss World pageant which was taking place in the country by the time. The article said: "What would the Prophet Mohammed think? In all honesty, he would probably have chosen a wife from among them the contestants." Outraged Islamic leaders issued a ‘fatwa’, calling for the death of the article’s author. The incident has prompted the Nigerian media to take a hard look at their role in dealing with the country’s religious tensions.

Newsletter n° 4/01.03.05
WAR & CONFLICT: Keeping your head above water in Sierra Leone
In October 2003, the managing editor of the Standard Times in Sierra Leone, Ibrahim Karim Sei, told RAP 21 about his efforts to rebuild his newspaper 18 months after the end of Sierra Leones eleven year long civil war. Among the ambitious plans for the newspaper was a project to build a strong distribution network, efforts to attract advertisers and strategies to increase circulation. Eighteen months on, the managing editor speaks to RAP 21 about how these projects have advanced.

Newsletter n°17/19.10.04
Mozambique: Vulnerable newspaper industry suffers from lack of capital and management expertise
Ten years after the end of the civil war, Mozambiques newspaper industry is still fighting to get on its feet. The countrys almost 19 million inhabitants have access to a total of ten publications, of which only two are published daily.

Newsletter n° 6/
01.03.04
Liberia: Local Journalist Secures over US$50,000 For Colleagues
Liberian journalist Josephus Moses-Gray single-handedly managed to secure a grant of over US$50,000 from Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) to distribute to fellow media practitioners in the aftermath of civil war and the restrictive regime of Charles Taylor. A total of 131 Liberian journalists, editors and publishers received US$400 each, to help them get back on their feet in the post-Taylor media industry. RAP 21 spoke to Gray, a former foreign news editor at the "Inquirer".

Newsletter n° 1/
14.01.04
Conflict Reporting: TheRole of the Media
The way media cover conflict has an impact on conflict itself. Like everyone else, warlords in Mogadishu listen to the radio, the Pentagon watches CNN and Arab policy makers watch Al Jazeera. Newspapers in Abidjan whip up emotions in the midst of the civil war; whilst in Sri Lanka the press is as much a part of the problem as a solution. The Serbian media did much to drive home this point, as did Radio Tlvision Libre des Mille Collines in Rwanda, which is often referred to as one of the most horrific misuses of ’media’ in recent times.

Newsletter n° 40/
12.12.03
Liberia: Taylor Departure Untethers Independent Media
In Liberia, almost a dozen new publications have emerged since Charles Taylor’s exile in August. The Liberian press, however, still faces numerous obstacles in the form of paper shortages, lack of advertising and distribution problems.

Newsletter n° 39/05.12.2003
Covering the Elections in Rwanda
In Rwanda, a country where three journalists were convicted last week of genocide crimes, the coverage of the first democratic elections in almost a decade was a major challenge.

Newsletter n° 36/06.11.03
Ghana: New Paper Deals with Delicate Refugee Issues
A group of exiled Liberian journalists have been given the unusual opportunity to exercise their profession while living as refugees in Ghana.

Newsletter n° 34/
16.10.2003
Somalia: Managing a Newspaper After a Conflict
Abdullahi Mohamed Hassan, editor-in-chief of the Somali-language daily newspaper "Ayaamaha" speaks about the logistical challenges his newspaper faces in post-conflict Somalia, and the first steps to rebuilding the newspaper industry in the country.