Media proliferation and democratic transition in Africa: The case of Madagascar

Abstract

Summary State-controlled media have historically dominated press outlets across much of Africa. Yet recently, economic and political liberalization, together with new communication technologies, have triggered rapid growth and increasing private sector involvement, changes which hold potentially important implications for development and governance. This paper explores the origins and impact of recent private sector media growth in Madagascar, where over 90 private radio stations and 15 private television stations have begun operation over the past decade. The resulting profusion of private media has played a key role in improving governance, most recently in the hotly contested presidential election of 2001.