Collaborative Presentation

The Uses and Abuses of Media

The example of Rwanda

(Hoffman 116-128)
Hatred Media
RTML stands for Radio Television Libres des Mille Collines
RTML main purpose was to demonize, delegitimize, and dehumanize.(118)
RTMLs motive was to stir the pot, and get a reaction out of the public.
RTML Radio Station-Broadcasting against Tutsi:
The RTML verbally attacked the prime minister, predicting his death. Along with prime minister, Agathe
Uwilingiyimanas death the Tutsi population would be destroyed.
Soon after the RTML made this claim, the prime minister was brutally murdered and the Tutsis were
exterminated.
They were known as the soundtrack of the genocide(121)
They took upon themselves the task of assembling the masses of the Hutus.
They pronounced, the graves are still only half full!(121)
The RTML is pushing for the killing of more Hutus, announcing mass genocide against them.
Genocide and Fear
Social Revolution: Belgian colonialists and Catholic missionaries replaced Tutsi chiefs with Hutus.
Many Tutsis fled to Uganda and formed the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) October 1, 1990. They
forced hundreds of thousands of Hutus to flee their home.
Calls by Hutu Power extremists for the total extermination of the inyenzi (cockroaches). This
increased Anti-Tutsi violence and spurred the creation of death squads. Military officers
distributed weapons to civilians (118).
Death lists, arms caches, and plans to kill opposition leaders and Belgian soldiers in hopes of
provoking a civil war.
 Failure to report
While the local media in Rwanda Fueled the killings, the international
media virtually ignored them(Hoffman 123).

News failure: News focused almost only on Kigali; only held 4% of

rwandas population, mistook genocide for civil war, and reported
violence was stopping when it was increasing. No media coverage

Most important: Lack of military intervention to stop the killings.

Power to heal and the Way Forward
120,000 Waiting for Trial. 20,000 Judged every month

U.N has different views on crimes compared to how Rwanda wants to trial

Creating Dialogue between the court and people by having the judge answer question the people had.

Using truck with television screen to broadcast court case

Media Instrumental in the process of healing the country