Various television networks, newspapers, and radio stations operate within Rwanda. These forms of mass media serve the Rwandan community by disseminating necessary information among the general public. [1] They are regulated by the self-regulatory body. [2]
The New Times is the largest English-language and the oldest in Rwanda. [3] It also owns a newspaper joint in the local language Kinyarwanda, called Izuba Rirashe. The newspaper has been criticized for being "too servile" to the ruling party of Rwanda, [4] and being "excessively optimistic". [5] As such, competitors in the English-language newspaper industry have sprung up in recent years, with the formation of another large-scale English newspaper News of Rwanda in 2011. [6] Other minor newspapers have also been created to counter the pro-establishment role of the newspaper, such as The Rwandan, [7] Rwanda Eye [8] and Business Daily. [9]
Several newspaper publishers also provide Kinyarwanda-language newspapers, including both News of Rwanda and The Rwandan. [10] In June 2018, News of Rwanda closed.
The Rwandan television industry is made 12 TV stations. 84% of TV stations are owned by private companies (10 out of 12), while the remaining 8% each are owned by public and religious organisations respectively. The state-owned Rwandan Broadcasting Agency runs the TV station Rwanda Television (RTV). [11]
The first private television station, TV10, made its first broadcast on 1 March 2013. [12] Its launch led to a surge in private channels, primarily dependent on foreign content. [13]
Likewise, radio in Rwanda is mainly conducted through a subsidiary of the RBA, Radio Rwanda. [14] The radio station offers Kinyarwanda, French, Kiswahili and English language services [15] in FM 100.7. As such, it is used to complement other media which mainly provided services in English and Kinyarwanda, the two popular languages in Rwanda. Due to the recent economic development in Rwanda, radio has taken less precedence among other forms of communication, and the government has also focused on improving the television industry in Rwanda.
A major share of the market is controlled by nine indigenous publishers, among which four have opened bookshops in the country. [16] Before the genocide against the Tutsi, there were no publishing houses in Rwanda. The situation improved after the incident, with the first indigenous publisher established in the country, Bakame Editions. [17] Since the turn of the century, major publishers from all across the world such as Oxford University Press and Macmillan Publishers have begun making inroads into the local publishing industry. [18] However, the establishment of publishing houses locally and from abroad has not instituted a healthy reading culture in Rwanda, and local publishers have decried the fact that the younger generation does not often participate in this pastime. Despite the boom in the local publishing industry, a similar spell of growth has yet to be seen in the commercial trading of books. Bookstores remain a rare sight in Rwanda, and the first library in the country was established in 2012 in Kigali. [16]
A statutory authority has been established according to the Constitution of Rwanda, called The Media High Council. The official mission of the council is to guide the industry in reflecting trends of globalization, to equip the industry with the skills required, and to conduct necessary research to improve the sector. [19] The legal responsibilities of the council is further elaborated in section Nº03/2013 of the law. [20] Freedom of the press in Rwanda is enshrined within Article 34 of the Constitution of Rwanda: [21]
"Freedom of the press and freedom of information are recognized and guaranteed by the State.
Freedom of speech and freedom of information shall not prejudice public order and good morals, the right of every citizen to honour, good reputation and the privacy of personal and family life. It is also guaranteed so long as it does not prejudice the protection of the youth and minors.
The conditions for exercising such freedoms are determined by law.
There is hereby established an independent institution known as the "High Council of the Press ».
The law shall determine its functions, organization and operation."
As such, it is imperative for the government and the people to recognize the freedom of the press in Rwanda, as stated in the Constitution of Rwanda. The media should be free from all government intervention, and is only governed by the autonomous Media High Council.
According to Freedom House, Rwanda's Press Freedom score was 79 in 2015 (0 represents the best score, 100 represents the worst score), and was considered "not free" by its standards. [22] Throughout the years, journalists have faced continuous harassment from the government, including arbitrary arrests and threats. Journalists also practice self-censorship for fear of government retaliation, dealing a severe blow to Rwanda's freedom of the press. [23] The government also actively participated in potentially unconstitutional acts of interfering with the media, by banning BBC's Kinyarwanda service in Rwanda due to the airing of a controversial documentary. [24] [25]
Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is highly elevated, giving it the sobriquet "land of a thousand hills", with its geography dominated by mountains in the west and savanna to the southeast, with numerous lakes throughout the country. The climate is temperate to subtropical, with two rainy seasons and two dry seasons each year. It is the most densely populated mainland African country; among countries larger than 10,000 km2, it is the fifth-most densely populated country in the world. Its capital and largest city is Kigali.
Telecommunications in Rwanda include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the Internet.
Kigali is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is near the nation's geographic centre in a region of rolling hills, with a series of valleys and ridges joined by steep slopes. As a primate city, Kigali is a relatively new city. It has been Rwanda's economic, cultural, and transport hub since it was founded as an administrative outpost in 1907, and became the capital of the country at independence in 1962, shifting focus away from Huye.
The provinces of Rwanda are divided into districts (akarere) and municipalities (umujyi). Prior to January 1, 2006, Rwanda was composed of 12 provinces. The Rwandan government decided to establish new provinces in an attempt to address issues that arose from the Rwandan genocide. The new provinces were to be "ethnically-diverse administrative areas".
Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM), nicknamed "Radio Genocide" or "Hutu Power Radio", was a Rwandan radio station which broadcast from July 8, 1993, to July 31, 1994. It played a significant role in inciting the Rwandan genocide that took place from April to July 1994, and has been described by some scholars as having been a de facto arm of the Hutu regime in Rwanda.
Kigali-Rural Province, known in Kinyarwanda as Kigali-Ngali, was a province surrounding the city of Kigali, Rwanda. It was abolished in 2006, along with other existing provinces at the time, in favour of a system of redrawn provinces.
Agathe Kanziga Habyarimana, néeKanziga is the widow of former President of Rwanda Juvénal Habyarimana and former First Lady of Rwanda from 1973 until 1994. Kanziga is part of both Tutsi and Hutu lineage that long ruled an independent principality until the late nineteenth century. She was arrested by French authorities on 2 March 2010 in France following the visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Rwanda.
Georges Henri Yvon Joseph Ruggiu is a Belgian radio presenter who worked for Rwandan radio station Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines, which played a significant role in promoting the genocide against the Tutsi. Like the station's other broadcasters, Ruggiu incited violence against Tutsi and moderate Hutu over the air. He had become involved in Rwandan politics just two years before the genocide.
The Parliament of Rwanda has consisted of two chambers since 2003:
The Amahoro Stadium, officially known as Amahoro National Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in the Gasabo district of Kigali, Rwanda. With a capacity of 45,508, it is the largest stadium in Rwanda and hosts football matches, concerts, and public events. Amahoro stadium was given that name due to it being the home of Rwanda's National Team Amavubi.
The New Times is a national English-language newspaper in Rwanda. It was established in 1995 shortly after the Genocide against the Tutsi. A Kinyarwanda-language weekly called Izuba Rirashe was previously published.
Since 1991 Estonia has changed from being a former Soviet republic to a member of the European Union and the European Monetary Union, making a rapid transformation in several fields, including the mass media, which is a vibrant and competitive sector. For many years Estonia has been among the top ten in Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) Press Freedom Index. In 2017 it was ranked 12th out of 180 countries by RSF while Freedom House assigned Estonia’s press freedom a score of 16/100. A cross-media landscape that embraces traditional media as well as the Internet and digital media characterises the contemporary media system in Estonia.
The mass media in Ukraine refers to mass media outlets based in Ukraine. 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 Ukraine guarantees freedom of speech. As a country in transition, Ukraine's media system is under transformation.
Christianity is the largest religion in Rwanda, with Protestantism and Catholicism being its main denominations. Around 3% of the population claims no religious affiliation, while another 3% practices other religions including traditional faiths. Approximately 2% of the populace is Muslim.
Human rights in Rwanda have been violated on a grand scale. The greatest violation is the Rwandan genocide of Tutsi in 1994. The post-genocide government is also responsible for grave violations of human rights.
Louise Mushikiwabo is the fourth and current Secretary General of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. She previously served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Rwanda from 2009 to 2018. She also served as Government Spokesperson. She had previously been Minister of Information.
Sonia Mugabo is a Rwandan businesswoman, fashion designer and fashionista. She is the founder and chief executive officer of the fashion label Sonia Mugabo, named after her.
Kakooza Nkuliza Charles, professionally known as KNC, is a Rwandan media personality and executive. He is the CEO and founder of Radio 1 Rwanda, TV1 Rwanda, and Gasogi United Football Club.
Ngabo Médard Jobert, known by his stage name Meddy, is a Rwandan singer and songwriter.
Jean Victor Nkindi Nteziryayo, is a Rwandan media executive and social entrepreneur.
