Mass media in Haiti

Last updated

As in many developing countries, radio reaches the widest audience in Haiti. Estimates vary, but more than 300 radio stations are believed to broadcast throughout the country. Talk show programs serve as one of the few ways in which ordinary Haitians can speak out about politics and the government. A law passed in 1997 declares the airwaves to be the property of the government, but at least 133 unlicensed radio stations operate freely. In addition, there are 50 community-based stations throughout the country. [1]

Contents

Television has experienced in the last 12 months[ when? ], a dramatic expansion with, in the metropolitan area, no fewer than 25 stations broadcasting on the airwaves. Tele Haiti, the oldest TV station[ when? ], offers on its cable network many foreign channels.

Haiti's three French-language newspapers have a total circulation of less than 20,000. Small, Creole-language newspapers are printed irregularly. [1]

History

The media sector in Haiti has a long history and its situation today might be understood in the light of its progress through the years.

When Aristide returned from exile in 1994, the press was expecting an improvement in freedom. The assassination of Jean-Léopold Dominique, owner and director of Radio Haiti-Inter in 2000, and Brignol Lindor, political columnist and editorial director in Radio Echo 2000 in 2001 showed that the hope for assuring press freedom was destined for disillusionment.

Governmental policy and Regulation

The decree of October 12, 1977, published during Jean Claude Duvalier's regime, the principal document governing the operation of the sector of telecommunications in Haiti gives the Haitian State the monopoly of services in telecommunications. The authority placed in control of this sector is the National Council of Telecommunications (CONATEL).

The press and media sector is running under a Decree issued on July 31, 1986 by the General' Henri Namphy's government. This publication makes provision for aIl press industries, which outline the privileges and duties that go with the media professions.

"Press" refers to the followings:

Journalists are the press enterprise's editors, radio broadcast announcers, TV presenters, cameramen, researchers, columnists, contributors to the editing, editors, translators, reporters, picture editors, and photojournalists.

The Ministry of Information and Coordination issue accreditation cards, renewable each year, to the press enterprises that have legal registration. The conditions for obtaining a professional card that attest the capacity of a journalist include a University degree or equivalent, and a credential card from a registered organ of the press.

Foreign journalists who want to practice their profession in Haiti have to request a professional card from the Ministry of Information and Coordination.

The creation of the press enterprise is subject to a prior declaration addressed to the Ministry of Information and Coordination, the National Archives and the National Library for a registration of copyright. The owner of an audiovisual media makes a declaration to the Ministry of Publics Works, Transport and Communication, and the Ministry of Justice.

Media landscape

In Haiti, three news agencies, two daily and two weekly newspapers published in the capital, Port-au-Prince, form the core of the written press. Other periodicals (political journals and varieties magazines) exist, but appear to be very irregular.

Nearly 400 radio and TV stations broadcast on Haitian territory. Only half work legally, with a license of Conatel, the agency that regulates communications.

Experts talk of a large territorial coverage by those 400 media, for a country of 10 million people and 27,750 sq km. However, the statistics for measuring the audience ratings and penetration are non-existent. In a country where the literacy rate is 53% and the standard of living low, we know that radio is the most popular medium.

The majority of 400 radios and TVs are small independent businesses, mainly concentrated in big cities. They broadcast on FM. AM transmitters are too costly to operate.

Public media, grouped in the consortium RTNH (Radio Télévision Nationale d’Haïti), despite the out datedness of their equipment, cover much of the territory.

Haiti has thirty community radio stations, which are located in rural areas. They are managed by farmers' organizations. They diffuse news, educational programs on health, agriculture and environment.

The religious stations are present in many localities. Excepted the stations of the Baptist network Radio Lumière, these Christian media are managed by local churches or dioceses.

Unlike other countries in the region, there are no big press groups, with large financial resources in Haiti. However, a movement of grouping of stations begins with the constitution of two groups of media, from the two dailies in the country: Le Nouvelliste group and Le Nouveau Matin SA group, which manage each a daily journal, a weekly magazine (respectively, Ticket Magazine and Spotlight Magazine), online newspapers including Balistrad and Ayibopost, one or two radio stations, and soon television channels.

Another group, Caraïbes FM, consists of seven radio stations and two TV channels network. There is a trend for most important radio stations to have their own TV channel.

Many stations of the capital work in network with radios of province, through the country. They broadcast especially news.

All major Haitian media have their own websites, which distributes audio or written contents. These texts or audio signals are widely relayed by other media in the Haitian Diaspora. Three television channels are broadcast by the site JumpTV.com. Four news agencies publish only on the Internet: Balistrad, Agence Haitienne de Presse, Haiti Press Network and MediAlternatif.

Formats

Newspapers

Newspapers in Haiti include the following:

Radio

Radio stations in Haiti include the following:

Defunct stations include:

Television

TV stations in Haiti include the following: [4]

Cinema

Media’s development: challenges and advantages

Challenges

The Haitian press faces many challenges with limited resources.

The media fail to operate properly and to meet their financial obligations, as renew their equipment and improve working conditions and salaries of technicians and journalists. In Haiti, due to major economic difficulties facing the country, the advertising market is low and is concentrated mainly in the capital, Port-au-Prince. Because of rationing electricity, the operating budget of the media is burdened by the cost of fuel and maintenance of generators. The media in the Diaspora, Canada and the United States, operating in a more structured, less confront these problems, due also to the greater access to funding sources, such as advertising and subsidies.

Illiteracy and low enrolment rates are obstacles that prevent the spread of the media, including the written press. The Haitian journalists often become mercenaries, against ethics and professional ethics. This is a serious credibility problem.

The development of the Internet and cellular phones over the past five years has allowed the media to benefit from a better flow of information. But it has also revealed other media competitors, such as webradios, webTV, sites for sharing videos, such YouTube, blogs, and so on.

Despite the cyclical and structural problems, the Haitian media manage to reflect a certain vitality of journalism in Haiti and to forge a sense that the media have a crucial role to play in the country's future.

Advantages

The development of the Internet and cellular phones over the past five years has allowed the media to benefit from a better flow of information. But it also revealed other media competitors, including web radios, web TV, sharing sites like YouTube videos, blogs, and so on.

See also

Related Research Articles

Telecommunications in Haiti Internet, radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones.

The mass media in Belarus are mass-media outlets based in Belarus. Television, magazines, and newspapers are operated by state-owned and for-profit corporations and depend on advertising, subscriptions, and other sales-related revenue. The Constitution of Belarus guarantees freedom of speech, but this is contradicted in practice by repressive and restrictive laws. Arbitrary detention, arrests, and harassment of journalists are frequent in Belarus. Anti-extremism legislation targets independent journalism, including material considered unfavourable to the president.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haiti national football team</span> Mens national association football team representing Haiti

The Haiti national football team represents Haiti in international football. Haiti is administered by the Fédération Haïtienne de Football (FHF), the governing body for football in Haiti. They have been a member of FIFA since 1934, a member of CONCACAF since 1961 and a member of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) since 1978. Haiti's home ground is Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince and the team's manager is Gabriel Calderón Pellegrino.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State University of Haiti</span> University in Haiti

The State University of Haiti is one of Haiti's most prestigious institutions of higher education. It is located in Port-au-Prince.

The mass media in Peru includes a variety of different types of media, including television, radio, cinema, newspapers, magazines, and Internet-based web sites. Much of the print-based media in Peru is over a century old, with some newspapers even dating back to the time of independence.

The mass media in Greece refers to mass media outlets based in the Hellenic Republic. Television, magazines, and newspapers are all operated by both state-owned and for-profit corporations which depend on advertising, subscription, and other sales-related revenues. The Constitution of Greece guarantees freedom of speech.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass media in Kenya</span>

Mass media in Kenya includes more than 91 FM stations, more than 64 free to view TV stations, and an unconfirmed number of print newspapers and magazines. Publications mainly use English as their primary language of communication, with some media houses employing Swahili. Vernacular or community-based languages are commonly used in broadcast media; mostly radio.

Camp-Perrin is a commune in the Les Cayes Arrondissement, in the Sud department of Haiti. It has 40,962 inhabitants.

The mass media in Cameroon includes independent outlets. The nation has only one national newspaper, which is state owned.

Mass media in Chad is controlled by the government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass media in the Democratic Republic of the Congo</span>

Mass media in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are both nationally and internationally state owned and operated.

The mass media in Gabon is primarily monitored by the Gabon government. Although the main newspapers are associated with the government, there are private broadcasters, and private weekly newspapers that are mostly controlled by opposition parties.

Radio Caraïbes is a radio station founded in 1949 by the Brown family that broadcasts live from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. As of 2015 it was run by Wilson Monk. Caraïbes FM hosts the most popular talk show on the island called Ranmase, rebroadcast from a handful of radio station from Miami to Montreal and Paris. Former journalists include Jean-Jahkob Jeudy, Directeur de programmation et affaires publiques de Radio Cacique d'Haïti; Louinel Saintalbord; Carlo Sainristil; and Jean-Samuel Trezil.

Cornelia Schütt, known by her stage name TiCorn, is a Haitian folk singer and songwriter.

Liliane Pierre-Paul was a Haitian journalist, activist, radio broadcaster, and radio station founder. She broadcast in Haitian Creole, which she described as the people's language. Pierre-Paul received a Courage in Journalism Award in 1990 from the International Women's Media Foundation. She also received le prix Roc Cadet de SOS Liberte in 2014. Musician and former president of Haiti Michel Martelly sang a carnival méringue song entitled "Bal Bannann nan", mocking Paul. She appears in the film Moloch Tropical. Her husband Anthony Barbier was appointed general secretary of the National Palace by Provisional President Jocelerme Privert.

The Association of LGBTI Journalists is an LGBTI group founded in France in 2013. This French nonprofit association works towards a better media coverage of LGBTI issues, of issues related to gender identity and sexual orientation. Its members are journalists from a wide range of newsrooms as well as freelance journalists. Since 2017, the AJL has been organizing an annual ceremony, the « Out d’or », during which artists, journalists and diverse personalities are awarded for their work towards LGBTI visibility.

<i>Balistrad</i> Haitian online newspaper

Balistrad is a Haitian online newspaper founded in 2018 by Fincy Pierre. Balistrad is published in French and Haitian Creole. Balistrad is an independent media company producing content for the web. This content is available in the form of publications on its website and on its accounts on social media and can be viewed by the entire Internet community.

References

  1. 1 2 Haiti country profile. Library of Congress Federal Research Division (May 2006). This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. Munro, Martin (2013). Exile and Post-1946 Haitian Literature: Alexis, Depestre, Ollivier, Laferrière, Danticat. Liverpool University Press. p. 11. ISBN   9781846318542 . Retrieved 5 June 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Haiti: the Press". Europa World Year Book. Taylor & Francis. 2004. p. 2005. ISBN   9781857432541.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Haiti Country Profile: Media", BBC News, 31 October 2012, retrieved 13 January 2018

Bibliography

in English
in French