Critical analysis of the Democratic Republic of Congo national tv coverage of the 2011 elections. Case study of Kinshasa city

5. THE CONGOLESE MEDIA LANDSCAPE

The Congolese media landscape underwent extraordinary development in recent years, passing in less than twenty years, monopoly a handful Government media to offer abundant, but unevenly distributed. The country has, in October 2008, 341 broadcasting stations (whose one, Radio Okapi, emits on the whole of the territory) and over 600 titles press reported, mostly irregular market. There were also 82 television channels, whose three radio-television national du Congo (RTNC), Digital Congo and radio-television of the future group (RTG @) can transmit via satellite from Kinshasa and be rebroadcast in some provinces of the country.

It is in the city of Kinshasa that focuses the media activity since the capital hosted 51 of these TV channels, issuing clear, as well as 41 stations radio-FM broadcast, the 10 regular dailies in the country, 15 periodicals and about 20 newspapers appearing suddenly (over 125 newspapers reported for this city alone).

Major publications (including the draw capped at 1,500 copies) are therefore published in Kinshasa, while the press of province is periodic and often random publication. Dissemination poses a critical problem given the absence of transport networks and the weakness of the weakness of purchasing power of the potential readership. Newspapers expressed exclusively in French and are generally private belonging to one individual initiative.

In the audio-visual sector, the typology is more diversified. The community and voluntary sector is dominant in the radio field (with 133 radios, whose three only located in Kinshasa), but little present in the television niche (with three initiatives). Commercial private operators (which there were 91 for the whole country) are usually mixed, combining radio and television.

They are encountering 104 denominational operators, related to the Catholic, Protestant, Kimbanguist churches, but also, especially in Kinshasa, the so-called churches "to wake up. Add to this panorama public media (the Congo national radio and television and its local branches), UN radio (Radio Okapi, related to the United Nations Mission in Congo (MONUC)) and international radios available in FM or through stall on the local radio.

Some providers of stories written (four news agencies) and radio - telephone or television programs also play an important role of information, disseminating their own productions or putting them at the disposal of the local media who relay them.

If the offer grows considerably, the statistical study also shows that the Congolese media consumption increases. Equipment rates are very high, especially for the audiovisual sector and urban centers. Radio remains the most common media in DRC with an equipment rate that varies, for urban areas, 97% 92% (Kinshasa) (Goma). In rural communities, equipment rates are sometimes much lower (in the town of Bundu, in Orientale Province, it does only 64%), but the radio still widely ranks compared to other media.

Television talonne radio in major cities: 97% in Kinshasa, 90% in Lubumbashi, 92% in Matadi, 82% in Mbuji-Mayi, 69% in Bukavu, 65% in Goma and 61% in Kisangani. It is much less present in rural communities (between 27% and 60% for the surveyed localities) and ranks in general after the mobile phone.

This last is important in the whole of the country penetration: the equipment rate of 72%, 68% in Kinshasa, 70% in Mbuji-Mayi, 68% in Matadi, 53% in Bukavu, 54% to 45% in Kisangani and Goma. In rural communities, it reaches between 10 and 45%. With respect to Internet users, they are also more numerous: with growth of more than 35% between 2002 and 2007, the Web is frequented by over 230,000 users, in urban essentially.

Consumption practices analyzed by media type and according to age groups, by gender and level of study of surveyed public reveal that the print media and Internet recruiting their hearing from more educated individuals (and), while consumption of radio is widespread in all age and gender groups.

In the audio-visual sector, the duration of daily consumption is large enough. Kinshasa, Lubumbashi and Matadi, it is television that wins (196 minutes per day in women and 158 minutes for males in Kinshasa), far in front of the radio (86 minutes of daily consumption among women and 105 men).

In other cities, it is radio that comes to mind. Women spend more time than men on television and less time than them on the radio. This last is its peaks of hearing in the morning slices around 0700, while television is especially watched the evening, particularly from 8 pm. In rural communities, television and mobile phone are, systematically, more used by men than by women, which is not the case of the radio.^11(*)

Radios, and most televisions vary between cities and the times of the day - born, but it is possible to identify a few stations and successful programs. In the radio landscape, Radio Okapi and Radio France International (RFI) are leading in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi; their morning information slices are particularly popular. In other towns and rural localities, Radio Okapi is often head or preceded by a local radio station.

In television, the public seems more attracted to the entertainment and information: soap operas (issued by Mirador TV or Digital Congo) and sports won a great success, while RTNC, once monopoly, is little more than necessary through his newscast.

The Congolese media pluralism is therefore undeniable, in terms of both the number and diversity of the media, their status (commercial, community, and public), their affiliation or belonging political, religious, ideological, and their implantation and diffusion RADIUS. However, monitoring of the content in these media to measure gaps in terms of quality of the information made available to the Congolese public and the real possibilities of expression of the various components of the population through the media.

Since the liberalization of the sector, announced in 1990, the Congolese media have proliferated in meteoric way and the media landscape is today marked by pluralism faith-sounding. There are thus:

· For the city of Kinshasa

51 TV channels broadcasting in clear, 41 stations of radio broadcasting in FM, 10 regular newspapers, 15 magazines and 20 newspapers appearing out of the blue (on a collection of over 125 newspapers reported);

· On the whole of the national territory

82 television channels including 3 radio and television national du Congo (RTNC), Digital Congo, and radio-television of the future group (RTG @) broadcast by satellite from Kinshasa and are repeated in some provinces of the country; 341 stations broadcasting (whose one, Radio Okapi, emits on the whole of the territory) and more than 600 titles press reported, mostly irregular on the market.

* ¹¹ MARTHOZ, JEAN PAUL. Election Reporting, A Media for Democracy Handbook. London: international Federation of Journalists, 2000. POTER, IAN. Elections