Over the last decade multi-party elections have been held in six Central African countries that were meant to be the definitive conclusion to a peace process that followed an armed conflict. Juxtaposing experiences and testimonies of dozens of journalists from these six countries, this book shows how the media have sought to cover the various phases of the electoral process, from the preparatory period to the declaration of the final results, by way of the weeks of campaigning and voting day. With descriptions of political pressures, material and technical problems, contextual constraints, but also the professional solidarity of journalists, their courage and inventiveness, the work builds a portrait of the media sector in Central Africa as a whole. Furthermore, it shows how much these particular routes lead back to fundamental questions about the crucial, incontrovertible and yet fragile role the media plays in a democratic system.
2011 – Zed books - ISBN 978-2-8111-0314-9 28 euros