Accessing the public sphere in Africa through a Slum Radio Project

Habermas (1974) noted that a public sphere independent of reigning governments was established out of a space set within the coffee houses of enlightenment Europe. Deane (2005) argues that the radio revolution in many developing countries can be seen in a similar light: ‘Many countries where information used to be subject to absolute government control have seen unprecedented public debate and the arguable emergence of a fresh kind of public sphere’ (Deane, 2005, p. 181). Fraser (1990) suggests that the conception of the public sphere set out by Habermas effectively excluded the poor. A similar exclusion of the poor from the modern public sphere is arguably happening today, witnessed in the growing lack of interest by the media in public interest issues. Moreover, as the advertisers and sponsors who pay for the newly liberalized media increasingly set agendas, the capacity of marginalized groups in society to have their voices heard in the public domain is further weakened. A lack of access to the media not only undermines the ability of people in poverty to participate in democratic processes, but also inhibits societal change. This chapter documents the way in which Amnesty International has sought to redress this balance through a specific initiative – the Slum Radio Project (SRP).