Talking about journalism in Africa, as sometimes happens when dealing with other realities on the continent, involves complexity and the occasional surprise. Many might think that journalism in Africa is in its infancy. However, Africa's first newspaper was the Cape Town Gazette and African Advertiser, a bilingual Afrikaans-English publication founded in South Africa in 1800 by the British government.
However, the star medium is radio, with some 3,500 stations identified and representing almost half of all existing media. "Radio reaches far more people than any other media on the continent," says Franz Krüger, director of the Wits Radio Academy in South Africa, in a DW interview.
Unlike the rest of the press, the airwaves have the advantage that they do not depend on the literacy levels of their audience or large telecommunications infrastructures; it is enough to have a transistor at hand and tune in to a station. Also, listening to the radio is free. Starting in the 1990s, community radio stations have gained significant importance, reporting the latest events on the course of the State, debating on matters of social interest, promoting dialogue in conflict zones, or broadcasting public health campaigns.
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