CITIZEN MEDIA IN MADAGASCAR

Achievement and Perspectives

TELLING OUR STORIES

The goals of the Malagasy Blogosphere a few years ago….

TAKE BACK THE NARRATIVE FROM ANIMATED MOVIES AND LEMURS

FOCUS ON LOCAL BLOGGERS (NOT DIASPORA)

START A CONVERSATION ABOUT…..

POVERTY

80% living on less than 2$ a day

Heterogeneous distribution of Wealth: (Black districts: above poverty average, : grey: 2 SD and white 3SD below average)

ENVIRONMENT

HEALTH

UNICEF: 300,000 at risk of famine in Southern Madagascar (Nov 2009)

FUN ( WHY NOT?)

THEN POLITICS (& COUP) HAPPENDED

PROTESTING ARMED REPRESSION

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVy6Zs1fb8k

MEDIA REPRESSION & CITIZEN MEDIA

CRISIS REPORTING: RISKY AND EXHAUSTING

•Blogger threatened at gunpoint •Cameras confiscated for others. • Popular website asked to stop publishing• Results: Less blog posts overall 6 months into the crisis

INTERNET & NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

WHAT’S NEXT FOR MALAGASY BLOGGERS? Yearning for normalcy (having fun

again) A reasonable exit to the crisis BUT Yearning for accountability and

transparency Contribute to national development Opportunity for personal growth