Giving Tunisians a voice through community media

The concept of community media and its importance in promoting platforms for new voices and views, was discussed recently during five regional workshops across Tunisia

Working to promote diverse and locally embedded media in Tunisia, International Media Support recently in collaboration with the World Community Radio Association (AMARC) conducted five workshops on community radio and community media centers.

Developing media across Tunisia

Well-attended by participants from all over Tunisia, the workshops hosted everyone from local journalists, human rights activists to representatives from local NGO’s. They were invited to discuss the problems of the country’s media and to come up with solutions and new ideas for media projects.

From the mountainous city Le Kef in the north to the hot and humid oasis Gabès in the south, attendants at the workshops expressed an overall discontent with the current media’s focus on the capital Tunis.

Working towards democracy

The Tunisian media have dealt with harsh repression and censorship under Ben Ali’s 24-year rule. Areas such as Kasserine in the western part of the country had people deprived of all regional media such as newspapers, radio and TV.

After the Tunisian revolution in January, it is becoming increasingly possible to work towards diversity and decentralisation of the media. Ben Hamad Zakair from the local Radio Gafsa highlighted the importance of media not only being based in or focused on Tunis:

– “Democratisation is not only to be able to elect a government. It is also to be able to read a newspaper or listen to a radio, which talks about your city and your problems – and not just the capital”.

Giving local populations a voice

The important impact of local community media in the rural areas was also highlighted by IMS Programme Manager Lotte Grauballe who co-facilitated the workshops:

-“There is a lot of frustration outside the capital. People have only experienced censored and centralised media coming from Tunis. But the frustration can be channeled positively. Local media, community media can give large parts of the rural population a voice.”

The workshops were held in the second week of July and will be followed up by IMS and AMARC with concrete support to certain pilot projects and collaboration with existing community media projects as well as new initiatives. IMS and AMARC have entered into a six-month partnership in Tunisia to support local media and the ongoing reform processes of media regulation in the country.