Studying “Radio Machete”: towards a robust research programme

Richards, Hannah K., Baele, Stephane J. and Coan, Travis G. 2019. Studying “Radio Machete”: towards a robust research programme. Journal of Genocide Research 21 (4) , pp. 525-539. 10.1080/14623528.2019.1652017

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Abstract

The role played by the media throughout the Rwandan Genocide has justifiably attracted substantial attention from scholars. Since 1994, the increasing availability of transcripts of radio broadcasts online has helped produce a rich and fruitful body of research into the extremist propaganda of pre-, early- and late-genocide Rwanda. Through constructive engagement with the existing literature, we identify four common limitations that characterize studies to date: the tendency to solely analyze the broadcasts of Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM), inconsistent/convenient sampling from mismatched databases, a reliance on translations, and a lack of effort to design valid and reliable methods. By examining these methodological shortcomings and identifying solutions for each, this reflection argues that efforts to document the role of the radio in the Rwandan genocide are far from over and seeks to enhance future research into extremist communications both in the Rwandan case and further afield.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Law
Publisher:	Routledge
ISSN:	1462-3528
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	24 August 2021
Date of Acceptance:	29 July 2019
Last Modified:	26 Nov 2024 04:00
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/141956

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