Article révisé par les pairs
Résumé : For decades international radio broadcasters on the African continent were considered the tools of Western imperialism, ideological weapons in the Cold War. Yet international broadcasters also provided a crucial, alternative supply of information in times of state monopoly of the media and when there was a lack of freedom of expression. Over the past 20 years, the media have become more open and numerous in the countries of French-speaking Africa and, as a result, international broadcasters have had to redefine their strategies. Based on expert interviews, this study examines the positioning of “historically established” international radio broadcasters by looking into the strategies of 2 of them, Radio France Internationale and Deutsche Welle.