Democratization and forces in the African media.

• Position: Power of the Media in the Global System

On 16 April 1993, the Journal of International Affairs sponsored a conference entitled "The Role of the Media and the Emergence of Democracy" at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. The conference brought together journalists, academics and policy makers who are involved in setting or responding to the agenda of the global media, particularly in their role as democratizing forces in countries throughout Asia, Africa and Latin America. Panel discussions focused on the characteristics of the media in each of these regions, examining such aspects as the power of technology, human rights violations against journalists and the influence of business and government ownership of the media. Here, the Journal reprints excerpts from the remarks of Nigerian journalist Tunji Lardner on how the convergence of communications technology and various indigenous pressures in Africa is enhancing the media's influence in that continent's democratization.

It is always difficult to talk about Africa: It is tantamount to trying to take a still picture of a moving object. The essential understanding of Africa which I hope to establish is that of a continent in transition. Although we have seen a fundamental shift toward a more democratic political and economic climate in the continent over the last five or six years, our destination is still not very clearly defined. Such is the premise upon which any credible attempt to understand Africa should be based.

My own theory about these changes is that there is a simultaneous convergence of three elements within Africa. The first element is the expansion of the African media -- predominantly the print media -- toward finding a set of principles or vocational responsibilities to which they should address themselves. In an anthropological assessment of the media, I would put forth the argument that any medium best serves its. own society; likewise the African media should have an agenda specific to their continent's unique context and problems.

The second element is a movement to contrast the role of the media against the backdrop of democracy. We should use the term democracy guardedly, however, because democratization is not essentially the definition of what is happening on the continent today. Certainly there has been a broad shift away from central, statist, command economies toward free-market economic systems -- combined with more forced government accountability. With varying degrees of...