{"id":3557,"date":"2012-05-14T06:53:58","date_gmt":"2012-05-14T10:53:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=3557"},"modified":"2012-05-14T08:52:06","modified_gmt":"2012-05-14T12:52:06","slug":"in-zimbabwe-if-you-want-to-hear-the-truth-listen-to-shortwave-radio-africa-to-listen-to-voa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2012\/05\/in-zimbabwe-if-you-want-to-hear-the-truth-listen-to-shortwave-radio-africa-to-listen-to-voa\/","title":{"rendered":"In Zimbabwe, “if you want to hear the truth…listen to Shortwave Radio Africa…listen to VOA”"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is a brilliant piece on the lack of press freedom in Zimbabwe and the importance of shortwave radio. It was broadcast yesterday on Weekend All Things Considered. Links to the show and audio are below.
\n\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

(Source: NPR<\/a>)<\/p>\n

In Seke, a rural community 40 miles outside Harare, James Chidakwa and his father eat roasted nuts and cornmeal inside a small brick hut. They’re farmers who rely heavily on maize and chickens to survive. James Chidakwa says that like many, his family refuses to listen to government TV or radio broadcasts.<\/p>\n

“They always lie to the people,” he says. “Everything they say is a lie.”<\/p>\n

So at 6 p.m. most evenings, they turn on a battery-powered, short-wave radio and tune in to a “pirate radio station.” Chidakwa says Shortwave Radio Africa and Voice of America are their favorites.<\/p>\n

“If you want to hear the truth, wait for the end of the day to listen to Shortwave Radio Africa, to listen to VOA,” he says.<\/p>\n

The stations, which are based in the U.K. and the U.S., send their signals through radio towers in countries that border Zimbabwe. That means Zimbabwean officials \u2014 who claim these broadcasts are illegal \u2014 have little recourse. In the past, they’ve confiscated short-wave radios. Chidakwa says that forces some people to listen undercover.<\/p>\n

“Some of them, they will take the radios into their bedrooms and, low volume, they listen to the news. But the truth is, there is fear in them,” he says.<\/p>\n

But for Chidakwa and his father, it’s a risk they are prepared to take.<\/p>\n

The stations, which are based in the U.K. and the U.S., send their signals through radio towers in countries that border Zimbabwe. That means Zimbabwean officials \u2014 who claim these broadcasts are illegal \u2014 have little recourse. In the past, they’ve confiscated short-wave radios. Chidakwa says that forces some people to listen undercover.<\/p>\n

“Some of them, they will take the radios into their bedrooms and, low volume, they listen to the news. But the truth is, there is fear in them,” he says.<\/p>\n

But for Chidakwa and his father, it’s a risk they are prepared to take.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

You can listen to the full story from Weekend All Things Considered, by clicking here (mp3)<\/a>, or read the transcript on this page<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This is just one more story we’ll file under “Why Shortwave Radio<\/a>.”<\/p>\n

RCI<\/a>, and others, I wish you were listening. Those in Zimbabwe certainly are.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is a brilliant piece on the lack of press freedom in Zimbabwe and the importance of shortwave radio. It was broadcast yesterday on Weekend All Things Considered. Links to the show and audio are below. (Source: NPR) In Seke, a rural community 40 miles outside Harare, James Chidakwa and his father eat roasted nuts […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[56,869,3,43],"tags":[274,20,135,10,182,102,84],"class_list":["post-3557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-broadcasters","category-clandestine","category-news","category-shortwave-radio","tag-national-public-radio","tag-npr","tag-shortwave-radio-africa","tag-voa","tag-voice-of-america","tag-why-radio","tag-why-shortwave-radio"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-Vn","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":803,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2010\/08\/voice-of-zimbabwe-on-shortwave\/","url_meta":{"origin":3557,"position":0},"title":"Voice of Zimbabwe on Shortwave?","author":"Thomas","date":"August 8, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"According to The Zimbabwean, Voice of Zimbabwe, a subsidiary of the state-controlled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings (ZBH) was officially launched in the Midlands capital of Gweru on 30 July 2010. Voice of Zimbabwe was established in 2007 and broadcasts on shortwave frequency. As Kim Elliot points out, the Voice of Zimbabwe\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/08\/zi-map.gif?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":347,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2009\/09\/zimbabwe-needs-shortwave-radio-and-text-messages\/","url_meta":{"origin":3557,"position":1},"title":"Zimbabwe needs shortwave radio and text messages","author":"Thomas","date":"September 17, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"From Journalism.co.uk: \"We just need old media. We just need radio. We just need people to be allowed to listen to radio,\" explains Gerry Jackson, the founder of Zimbabwean radio station SW Radio Africa (SWRA). \"Shortwave and text messages are only real way to get into Zimbabwe...[b]ecause our focus is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"250px-sw_radio_africa_logo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/250px-sw_radio_africa_logo.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7095,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/08\/arturo-sandoval-listened-to-voa-every-single-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":3557,"position":2},"title":"Arturo Sandoval listened to VOA “every single day”","author":"Thomas","date":"August 23, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"The Voice of America provided Cuban\u00a0jazz\u00a0trumpeter,\u00a0pianist\u00a0and\u00a0composer, Arturo Sandoval with a source of inspiration through Jazz. In a recent interview with NPR, Sandoval stated: \"We used to listen every day, every single day, [to] Voice of America. [It] was a shortwave radio program, and they play everything in jazz music. That\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"220px-Arturo_Sandoval_photo","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/220px-Arturo_Sandoval_photo-211x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8872,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/03\/why-shortwave-russia-blocks-web-pages-linked-to-ukraine-protests\/","url_meta":{"origin":3557,"position":3},"title":"Why shortwave? Russia blocks web pages linked to Ukraine protests","author":"Thomas","date":"March 5, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"In response to the BBG's request for comments on the relevancy of shortwave radio, SWLing Post reader, Rick, writes: \"Here is the reason why VOA needs to keep broadcasting on shortwave. Russia (or China or Angola or Zimbabwe or Iraq or Afghanistan or Syria) can easily block Internet access --\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"(Photo: VOA News)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/UkraineRiots.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10112,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/06\/details-of-shortwave-reductions-to-voa-rfe-rfa\/","url_meta":{"origin":3557,"position":4},"title":"Details of shortwave reductions to VOA, RFE, RFA","author":"Thomas","date":"June 30, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier today, I contacted Letitia King, Spokesperson for the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). I asked her for details regarding the cuts to shortwave services that were recently announced. Ms. King has just sent me the following list, with notes, which includes\u00a0all shortwave reductions under the BBG: Facts and Figures\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Voice_of_America_Headquarters","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Voice_of_America_Headquarters.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6935,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/07\/brian-hongwe-reports-on-importance-of-shortwave-radios-in-zimbabwe\/","url_meta":{"origin":3557,"position":5},"title":"Brian Hongwe reports on importance of shortwave radios in Zimbabwe","author":"Thomas","date":"July 27, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to\u00a0Dave\u00a0for sharing this excellent radio documentary from the BBC World Service show, The Fifth Floor. In this brief report, reporter Brian Hongwe clearly explains why police are seizing shortwave radios and arresting those who own them in the run up to the Zimbabwe elections. Hint: Information = power\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Zimbabwe-Map","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Zimbabwe-Map-270x300.gif?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3557"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3557\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}