After Cameroon became independent in 1960, the only existing media organizations in the country were ” Cameroon Tribune”, a state-owned daily newspaper and the national public radio station entirely funded by the government. Television broadcasting did not start in the country until 1984. During this period, the role of mass media was to promote the State’s ideology. Journalists were civil servants, and expected to abide by the State’s demands. Newspaper, radio and television industries were publicly run and funded. The government insisted that the media needed to participate in nation building. This type of media system did not allow any dissenting opinion, public criticism or resistance, and was not open private ownership or commercial media. The most significant change in the media sector however occurred on December 19, 1990.
President Paul Biya signed LAW Number 092/158. This law liberalized the broadcasting sector, and allowed for private media enterprises. From this point on the media landscape in Cameroon took a different turn. Many media scholars believe that this has been the most significant change, bringing about a proliferation of private radio and television stations in the country. The creation of community radios throughout rural areas was praised as an important step toward freedom of expression. The liberalization of the media system however did bring along freedom of the press. The new private media organizations were facing many hurdles, among which are: The government’s tight control over what type of messages could be made public, and lack of sufficient funding to effectively operate. Many of them were run by unprofessional journalists who had little knowledge about journalistic ethics. This situation made it difficult for early Cameroonian private media to challenge the status quo.
By the end of the 2000s the community and private media were becoming more and more effective. In spite of the State’s restrictions and threats, they were able to criticize and expose the state abuses. During this same period the Internet use grew in the country. More social activists discovered the advantage of Internet activism. Internet messages were subject to less State’s censorship, and could reach a wider audience. Activist movements can easily cross borders and globalizing networks communication that connect activist publics globally. Issues are no longer situated within national boundaries, rather activists groups are harnessing online communication platforms to connect local issues with global politics ( Dutta and Pal, 2007).
Fighting for Food Security in Cameroon 