ABSTRACT
Radio is the premier means of reaching the public with news and information in countries where most of the population is illiterate and television sets are rare. But much of the world is not part of an electronic global village when it comes to radio news. Because of its crucial role, many governments rigorously control radio news through government-ownership of radio stations and regulations barring the broadcast of uncensored news by private stations. Rwanda, where hate radio flourished, was only one of the states in which the government used radio to mould the opinions of its rural citizens. Not everyone at the State Department agrees that hate broadcasting played a key role in the genocide in Rwanda or the massive flight of refugees. State Department officials with expertise in psychological warfare agree that when a genocide is imminent or underway, efforts should be made to knock out the perpetrator's radio transmitters.
