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Haiti The Mass Media
The mass media in Haiti expanded remarkably between
1957 and
1989; radio led the way. The transistor radio brought news
and
information to previously isolated rural areas. Since the
1950s,
Protestant missionaries have proselytized through their
own radio
stations
(see Protestantism
, ch. 7). Radio Soleil, a Roman
Catholic station, and other radio stations contributed to
the
fall of Duvalier in 1986.
Approximately two dozen radio stations were
broadcasting in
Haiti in the late 1980s; slightly more than half of them
were in
the Port-au-Prince area. There were a similar number of
newspapers and other periodicals, including four daily
papers
with an estimated combined circulation of 25,000, four
monthlies,
and a dozen or so weeklies. The number of publications
varied
over time. Some publications were produced irregularly.
During
the post-Duvalier period, a relatively large number of
publications appeared, but many of them published only a
few
issues before folding.
Two television stations, one private and one public,
were
broadcasting in the late 1980s. There was also a cable
television
network. Many wealthy families owned satellite dishes that
picked
up television signals from abroad. Television played a
growing
role among the Haitian media, but its influence continued
to be
greatest among higher-income residents of Port-au-Prince.
In
general, increased freedom of expression and an absence of
formal
government censorship or control characterized the
post-Duvalier
period.
Spoken and written Creole became commonplace in radio,
television, and publications, as well as in community
organizations and development projects
(see Changes in Language Use
, ch. 7). The production of materials written in Creole
expanded exponentially in the late 1980s and increased the
participation of the majority of the population in Haitian
politics. Creole also became increasingly important in
advertising.
Data as of December 1989
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