Medias et vie politique au Cameroun de 1990 à 2018 : essai d’analyse historique

Abstract

The media occupies a very important position in the political scene of Cameroon, such that almost all political actors explore it for their political agendas. In what concerns the national domain, the popular protest of 1990s by a group of layers influenced the political authorities to lessen their grip on communication and freedom of expression. It is important to investigate the influence of medias in the political life of Cameroon. In other words, how has Cameroon medias impacted the political scene. Also, the objective of this work is to demonstrate among others that medias has a lot of influence in Cameroon politics and are indispensable in political competition. The medias also reinforce the democratic framework and governance in Cameroon by showcasing it as a veritable keeper of political and public life. At times considered as the fourth power, medias in Cameroon impose their relevance in the political scene. It is for this reason that, many political actors are invited to the television and radio for political debates. To augment this study, we exploited documentations and numerical data, interview with political and media actors and informal discussions. From our research it was revealed that, medias have become the main road (auto-road) of modern political communication in Cameroon where a majority of politicians own social media accounts and addresses to directly exchange with their sympathizers. Political life in Cameroon is obviously linked to the laxity of the medias. A majority of politicians in Cameroon accord a particular importance to the media agenda. However, it should be underlined that Cameroon medias face challenges such as the poverty level which exposes it to manipulation by certain political actors.