Women Journalists, Proximity Radios and Conflicts in Burkina Faso - by Viviane Schönbächler (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

This book explores the complex relationships between proximity radio and conflict in Burkina Faso from the perspective of female radio journalists. The study is based on in-depth qualitative field research, including interviews, audio diaries, and radio content analysis, using an analytical framework based on the concepts of participation and intersectionality. It provides a detailed account of radios in the northern provinces of Burkina Faso and the specificities of proximity radio in comparison to larger, national media outlets, particularly in their relationship with the community they serve. It also highlights the material and discursive consequences of violent conflict on radio stations, and shows how journalists regain agency despite severe constraints, as well as pointing to important - often invisible - contributions of women journalists in promoting peace and non-violent conflict transformation.

From the Back Cover

This book explores the complex relationships between proximity radio and conflict in Burkina Faso from the perspective of female radio journalists. The study is based on in-depth qualitative field research, including interviews, audio diaries, and radio content analysis, using an analytical framework based on the concepts of participation and intersectionality. It provides a detailed account of radios in the northern provinces of Burkina Faso and the specificities of proximity radio in comparison to larger, national media outlets, particularly in their relationship with the community they serve. It also highlights the material and discursive consequences of violent conflict on radio stations, and shows how journalists regain agency despite severe constraints, as well as pointing to important - often invisible - contributions of women journalists in promoting peace and non-violent conflict transformation.

Viviane Schönbächler is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Hamburg. She holds a PhD in Media Studies from the Ruhr University Bochum and has studied International Relations and Peace and Conflict Studies in Geneva, Beirut, and Castellon. Viviane has worked in humanitarian projects in Turkey, and was based for two years in Burkina Faso, where she worked in a project on conflict-sensitive media work.

About the Author

Viviane Schönbächler is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Hamburg. She holds a PhD in Media Studies from the Ruhr University Bochum and has studied International Relations and Peace and Conflict Studies in Geneva, Beirut, and Castellon. Viviane has worked in humanitarian projects in Turkey, and was based for two years in Burkina Faso, where she worked in a project on conflict-sensitive media work.