Voice and Publics in West African Radio - (Media Studies) by Tilo Grätz (Paperback)

About the Book

An examination of the grogneurs, frequent callers to radio shows in the Republic of Benin, investigating their motives, issues and public position.

Book Synopsis

»First caller, good morning« - this is how a famous radio show in Benin begins. Callers can express their concerns on almost any topic of public life, if they do so precisely and politely. These programs are called grogne, and listeners can denounce grievances. Grogne programs are media dramas with typical rhetoric and interaction rituals. The most frequent callers to these programs, the grogneurs, have become committed media activists. Tilo Grätz examines their topics, motives, strategies, and public position. Based on field research, he offers scholars of African Studies new understandings of media change in West Africa, and provides non-specialists with comprehensible insights into vibrant debates in this region of the continent.

About the Author

Tilo Grätz is a researcher at the Institute for Media and Communication Studies at Freie Universität Berlin. He has conducted research in West Africa and Central Europe on topics ranging from migration, media and local politics to informal economies and friendship relations. ---