Media of Haiti
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As in many
developing countries A developing country is a sovereign state with a lesser developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreem ...
,
radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
reaches the widest audience in
Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
. Estimates vary, but more than 300 radio stations are believed to broadcast throughout the country. Talk show programs serve as one of the few ways in which ordinary Haitians can speak out about politics and the government. A law passed in 1997 declares the airwaves to be the property of the government, but at least 133 unlicensed
radio stations Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio signal, audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-b ...
operate freely. In addition, there are 50 community-based stations throughout the country.Haiti country profile
Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...
Federal Research Division The Federal Research Division (FRD) is the research and analysis unit of the United States Library of Congress. The Federal Research Division provides directed research and analysis on domestic and international subjects to agencies of the Unite ...
(May 2006). ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work A creative work is a manifestation of creative effort including fine artwork (sculpture, paintings, drawing, sketching, performance art), dance, writing (literature), filmmaking, ...
.''
Television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
has experienced in the last 12 months, a dramatic expansion with, in the metropolitan area, no fewer than 25 stations broadcasting on the airwaves. Tele Haiti, the oldest TV station, offers on its cable network many foreign channels. Haiti's three French-language
newspapers A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports ...
have a total circulation of less than 20,000. Small, Creole-language newspapers are printed irregularly.


History

The media sector in Haiti has a long history and its situation today might be understood in the light of its progress through the years. * 1724: Media existed for the first time in Haiti, with the newspaper of French journalist Joseph Payen who received an authorization from the King of France. * 1764:
Antoine Marie Antoine is a French given name (from the Latin ''Antonius'' meaning 'highly praise-worthy') that is a variant of Danton, Titouan, D'Anton and Antonin. The name is used in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, West Greenland, Haiti, French Guiana ...
, a printer from France, founded in
Cap-Haïtien Cap-Haïtien (; ht, Kap Ayisyen; "Haitian Cape"), typically spelled Cape Haitien in English and often locally referred to as or , is a commune of about 190,000 people on the north coast of Haiti and capital of the department of Nord. Previousl ...
the weekly publication: "Gazette de Saint-Domingue". The publication was forced to change locations to
Port-au-Prince Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...
. lt had 1500 subscribers in 1788. * The
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
in 1789 brought some freedom for the press, and other papers went into print. In 1802, fifty newspapers have been listed in Saint-Domingue. * 1804: The « Gazette politique et commerciale d'Haïti», the first publication in the new independent country. This publication dropped out of circulation. * 1806: When the Emperor
Jean-Jacques Dessalines Jean-Jacques Dessalines (Haitian Creole: ''Jan-Jak Desalin''; ; 20 September 1758 – 17 October 1806) was a leader of the Haitian Revolution and the first ruler of an independent First Empire of Haiti, Haiti under the Constitution of Haiti, 1 ...
died on October 17, 1806, «Sentinelle d'Haïti» replaced the Gazette. lts name will change several times but spreading the government ideology remained its main objective. * From 1804 to 1949.
Max Bissainthe Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (English Springer Spaniel), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of OBE) * Max (gorilla) ...
has counted 885 newspapers, some of which exist until today, such as '' Le Moniteur'' (1845), '' Le Nouvelliste'' (1898) and '' Le Matin'' (1907). The period before the American occupation was characterized by the breach and violation of ethical and professional rules. Successive governments and their opponents seized the press sector to their profit. * Between 1914 and 1934, during the American occupation, three laws were adopted to regulate the press sector. These laws restricted freedom of the press. The more outspoken journalists were put in jail, e.g. Georges J. Petit, who went to prison seventeen times between 1915 and 1960. He wrote an article in ''Le Petit Impartial,'' along with
Jacques Roumain Jacques Roumain (June 4, 1907 – August 18, 1944) was a Haitian writer, politician, and advocate of Marxism. He is considered one of the most prominent figures in Haitian literature. The African-American poet, Langston Hughes, translated some of ...
who was also critical of the occupation and advocated that the youth take a stand. * 1930: Emergence of the broadcasting media. Print media was almost completely abandoned. Broadcasting imposed itself as a real alternative in the country where nearly 85% people were illiterate. Several of today's well-known stations were created during this time period, such as Radio Haiti (1935) and
Radio Caraïbes Radio Caraïbes is a radio station founded in 1949 by the Brown family that broadcasts live from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. it was run by Wilson Monk. Caraïbes FM hosts the most popular talk show on the island called ''Ranmase'', rebroadcast from a ...
in Port-au-Prince (1949). The provinces, Radio Voix du Nord (1945), Radio Citadelle (1950) and Voix Évangélique in the North department and Radio Indépendance in Gonaïves/Artibonite (1953) emerged. * 1957–1986. The coming of TV established the domination of audiovisual media. Télé Haiti, in 1959, became the first TV station in the country. During the twenty-nine year Duvalier dictatorship, there is systematic violation of basic freedoms of the press; harassment, torture of journalists, censorship. Many journalists went into exile. * In 1979, the government launched the Télévision Nationale d'Haïti (TNH) a TV "real" mass medium. Unfortunately, since its creation TNH has remained an instrument of propaganda for the government. * Since 1986, the press sector has experienced constant change. Indeed, several journalists have been imprisoned or killed for their ideology, their affinity for political groups or their objectivity. * The hope for a free media vanished with the military coup against
Jean-Bertrand Aristide Jean-Bertrand Aristide (born 15 July 1953) is a Haitian former Salesian priest and politician who became Haiti's first democratically elected president. A proponent of liberation theology, Aristide was appointed to a parish in Port-au-Prince in ...
. When Aristide returned from exile in 1994, the press was expecting an improvement in freedom. The assassination of Jean-Léopold Dominique, owner and director of
Radio Haiti-Inter Radio Haiti-Inter was the first independent radio station in Haiti. The station was notable for its use of the Haitian Creole language, spoken by most Haitians, while most other media broadcast in French, and also for its broadcasting of internatio ...
in 2000, and
Brignol Lindor Brignol Lindor (; 4 November 1970 – 3 December 2001), was a Haitian radio journalist and news editor, lawyer and teacher. Lindor was a prominent voice in politics, speaking mostly on behalf of the Democratic interests of the Haitian people. ...
, political columnist and editorial director in Radio Echo 2000 in 2001 showed that the hope for assuring press freedom was destined for disillusionment.


Governmental policy and Regulation

The decree of October 12, 1977, published during Jean Claude Duvalier's regime, the principal document governing the operation of the sector of telecommunications in Haiti gives the Haitian State the monopoly of services in telecommunications. The authority placed in control of this sector is the National Council of Telecommunications ( CONATEL). The press and media sector is running under a Decree issued on July 31, 1986 by the General'
Henri Namphy Henri Namphy (2 October 1932 – 26 June 2018) was a Haitian general and political figure who served as President of Haiti's interim ruling body, the National Council of Government, from 7 February 1986 to 7 February 1988. He served again as Pre ...
's government. This publication makes provision for aIl press industries, which outline the privileges and duties that go with the media professions. "Press" refers to the followings: * Newspapers or all kind of periodical publications * Broadcasting and television * Printing house, bookshop, publishing house * Press agencies Journalists are the press enterprise's editors, radio broadcast announcers, TV presenters, cameramen, researchers, columnists, contributors to the editing, editors, translators, reporters, picture editors, and photojournalists. The Ministry of Information and Coordination issue accreditation cards, renewable each year, to the press enterprises that have legal registration. The conditions for obtaining a professional card that attest the capacity of a journalist include a University degree or equivalent, and a credential card from a registered organ of the press. Foreign journalists who want to practice their profession in Haiti have to request a professional card from the Ministry of Information and Coordination. The creation of the press enterprise is subject to a prior declaration addressed to the Ministry of Information and Coordination, the National Archives and the National Library for a registration of copyright. The owner of an audiovisual media makes a declaration to the Ministry of Publics Works, Transport and Communication, and the Ministry of Justice.


Media landscape

In Haiti, three news agencies, two daily and two weekly newspapers published in the capital, Port-au-Prince, form the core of the written press. Other periodicals (political journals and varieties magazines) exist, but appear to be very irregular. Nearly 400 radio and TV stations broadcast on Haitian territory. Only half work legally, with a license of Conatel, the agency that regulates communications. Experts talk of a large territorial coverage by those 400 media, for a country of 10 million people and 27,750 sq km. However, the statistics for measuring the audience ratings and penetration are non-existent. In a country where the literacy rate is 53% and the standard of living low, we know that radio is the most popular medium. The majority of 400 radios and TVs are small independent businesses, mainly concentrated in big cities. They broadcast on FM. AM transmitters are too costly to operate. Public media, grouped in the consortium RTNH (Radio Télévision Nationale d’Haïti), despite the out datedness of their equipment, cover much of the territory. Haiti has thirty community radio stations, which are located in rural areas. They are managed by farmers' organizations. They diffuse news, educational programs on health, agriculture and environment. The religious stations are present in many localities. Excepted the stations of the Baptist network Radio Lumière, these Christian media are managed by local churches or dioceses. Unlike other countries in the region, there are no big press groups, with large financial resources in Haiti. However, a movement of grouping of stations begins with the constitution of two groups of media, from the two dailies in the country
Le Nouvelliste
group an
Le Nouveau Matin SA
group, which manage each a daily journal, a weekly magazine (respectively, Ticket Magazine and Spotlight Magazine), online newspapers including
Balistrad ''Balistrad'' is a Haitian online newspaper founded in 2018 by Fincy Pierre. ''Balistrad'' is published in French and Haitian Creole. Balistrad is an independent media company producing content for the web. This content is available in the form ...
an
Ayibopost
one or two radio stations, and soon television channels. Another group, Caraïbes FM, consists of seven radio stations and two TV channels network. There is a trend for most important radio stations to have their own TV channel. Many stations of the capital work in network with radios of province, through the country. They broadcast especially news. All major Haitian media have their own websites, which distributes audio or written contents. These texts or audio signals are widely relayed by other media in the Haitian Diaspora. Three television channels are broadcast by the site JumpTV.com. Four news agencies publish only on the Internet:
Balistrad ''Balistrad'' is a Haitian online newspaper founded in 2018 by Fincy Pierre. ''Balistrad'' is published in French and Haitian Creole. Balistrad is an independent media company producing content for the web. This content is available in the form ...

Agence Haitienne de PresseHaiti Press Network
an
MediAlternatif


Formats


Newspapers

Newspapers in Haiti include the following: *''
Balistrad ''Balistrad'' is a Haitian online newspaper founded in 2018 by Fincy Pierre. ''Balistrad'' is published in French and Haitian Creole. Balistrad is an independent media company producing content for the web. This content is available in the form ...
'', est. 2018 (online) *'' Le Nouvelliste'', est. 1898 * ', est. 2015 *'' Le Matin'', est. 1907 (Defunct media) * '' Le Moniteur'', est. 1845 (official journal) *'' Haïti Liberté'', est. 2007 *''
Haïti Observateur ''Haïti Observateur'' is a US-based weekly newspaper founded in 1971 that focuses on news concerning Haiti. It is published in Brooklyn, New York, and has large distribution networks in other locations in the United States, as well in Canada and ...
'' *'' Haïti en Marche'' *'' Haïti Progrès''


Radio

Radio stations in Haiti include the following: * Radio Antilles Internationale, est. 1984 *
Radio Caraïbes Radio Caraïbes is a radio station founded in 1949 by the Brown family that broadcasts live from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. it was run by Wilson Monk. Caraïbes FM hosts the most popular talk show on the island called ''Ranmase'', rebroadcast from a ...
, est. 1949 * Radio Cacique, est. 1961 * Radio Celeste, est. 1991 * Radio Galaxie, est. 1990 * Radio Ginen, est. 1994 http://haitimedia.live/radio/92-9-fm-radio-ginen/ * Radio Kadans FM, est. 1991 *
Radio Kiskeya Radio Kiskeya is a radio station in Port-au-Prince, Haiti that broadcasts music, talk shows, sports, news, and cultural programs. Its news covers both Haiti and the international community, and its music spans on compas, jazz, tubes, and other ...
, est. 1994 http://haitimedia.live/radio/88-5-fm-radio-kiskeya/ * Radio Lakansyel * Radio Lumière, est. 1959 http://haitimedia.live/radio/95-9-fm-radio-lumiere/ * Radio Magic Stereo, est. 1991 * Radio Métropole, est. 1970 http://haitimedia.live/radio/100-1-fm-radio-metropole/ *
Signal FM Signal FM is a Haitian French language radio station based in the Port-au-Prince suburb of Pétion-Ville. It is a popular station, providing news updates and other information on Haiti. Mario Viau is owner and general manager. The station rema ...
http://haitimedia.live/radio/90-5-fm-signal-fm/ * Radio Soleil * Radio Tele Zenith * Radio Vision 2000 http://haitimedia.live/radio/99-3-radio-vision-2000/ Defunct stations include: *
Radio Haiti-Inter Radio Haiti-Inter was the first independent radio station in Haiti. The station was notable for its use of the Haitian Creole language, spoken by most Haitians, while most other media broadcast in French, and also for its broadcasting of internatio ...
, 1935-2003


Television

TV stations in Haiti include the following: * Tele Caraibes ''http://hbiptv.com/tele-caraibes/'' * Tele Ginen ''http://hbiptv.com/tele-ginen/'' * Tele Metropole ''http://hbiptv.com/tele-metropole/'' * Television Nationale d'Haiti ''http://hbiptv.com/tele-nationale-dhaiti/'' * Nago TV ''http://nago.tv'' * Radio Tele 6 Univers ''http://hbiptv.com/tele-6-univers/'' * Tele Kiskeya ''http://hbiptv.com/tele-kiskeya/'' * Tele Super Star ''http://hbiptv.com/tele-super-star/'' * Tele Espace ''http://hbiptv.com/tele-espace-2/'' * Hebdo TV ''http://hbiptv.com/hebdotvcom/'' * Tele Eclair ''http://hbiptv.com/tele-eclair/'' * Tele Hirondelle ''http://hbiptv.com/tele-hirondelle/'' * Tele Signal ''http://hbiptv.com/tele-signal/'' * Tele Amani-Y ''http://hbiptv.com/tele-amani-y/'' * Tele Haiti ' ''http://telehaiti.com/'' * Tele Variété Chaine 30 https://www.tva30.com/ * Netalkole TV https://haitibroadcasting.com/netalkoletv/


Cinema


Media’s development: challenges and advantages


Challenges

The Haitian press faces many challenges with limited resources. * First challenge: survive as a company - or nonprofit institution - in a country economically weak and politically fragile. The majority of the Haitian media are small businesses operating in a very risky and very competitive. The media fail to operate properly and to meet their financial obligations, as renew their equipment and improve working conditions and salaries of technicians and journalists. In Haiti, due to major economic difficulties facing the country, the advertising market is low and is concentrated mainly in the capital, Port-au-Prince. Because of rationing electricity, the operating budget of the media is burdened by the cost of fuel and maintenance of generators. The media in the Diaspora, Canada and the United States, operating in a more structured, less confront these problems, due also to the greater access to funding sources, such as advertising and subsidies. * The second challenge: to manage the precarious and the low skill level of its employees. Very few journalists are able to live decently on their wages. Very few are trained properly, even though the number of training schools tends to increase. * Third challenge: to carry out its mission of information. Because of the deficiencies in the education system, it is incumbent upon the media, particularly radio, to inform and educate the Haitian people. This requires large financial resources and adequate human resources. Illiteracy and low enrolment rates are obstacles that prevent the spread of the media, including the written press. The Haitian journalists often become mercenaries, against ethics and professional ethics. This is a serious credibility problem. * Fourth challenge: working in security. Journalists can cope with various acts of violence: persecution, threats, intimidation, arrests, attacks on the facilities. These physical attacks can be fatal. Example murder of Jean Dominique, were never punished until today. * Fifth challenge: master the new technologies. As elsewhere in the world, the Haitian Press faces the benefits but also the constraints created by the new information technologies and communication. The development of the Internet and cellular phones over the past five years has allowed the media to benefit from a better flow of information. But it has also revealed other media competitors, such as webradios, webTV, sites for sharing videos, such YouTube, blogs, and so on. : Despite the cyclical and structural problems, the Haitian media manage to reflect a certain vitality of journalism in Haiti and to forge a sense that the media have a crucial role to play in the country's future.


Advantages

The development of the Internet and cellular phones over the past five years has allowed the media to benefit from a better flow of information. But it also revealed other media competitors, including web radios, web TV, sharing sites like YouTube videos, blogs, and so on.


See also

* Telecommunications in Haiti


References


Bibliography

;in English * * ; + "Press", p. 214 * * . (About alternative and community media) * + List of community radio stations, p. 68+ * * ;in French * *


External links


SUR LES ONDES: la meilleure source d'informations sur les médias haïtiens

HAITI MEDIA LIVE: the best source for news about haitian media

Atelier des Médias de RFI: le blog de Claudel Victor

Digital Library of the Caribbean
contains newspapers, gazettes, and many other publications from Haiti
Ann Kite Yo Pale or Let Them Speak
a
infoasaid
report on Best Practice and Lessons Learned in Communication with Disaster Affected Communities after 2010 earthquake - published in November 2011 and written by Imogen Wall and Yves Gérald Chéry. * (Digitized copies of 17th-19th c. books, newspapers, maps, some published in Haiti, now in the
John Carter Brown Library The John Carter Brown Library is an independently funded research library of history and the humanities on the campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. The library's rare book, manuscript, and map collections encompass a variety of ...
, Brown University, US) {{DEFAULTSORT:Media Of Haiti
Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...