Africa: Lessons in democracy, pressure, and the press

Zimbabwe and Burundi, countries with very different histories, were among the dozen states in sub-Saharan Africa that held elections in 2005. In Burundi, the local media played a significant role in informing the public about the democratic process and signaling abuses by those in power. In Zimbabwe, however, the independent media have been so restricted by an increasingly repressive government that elections were no victory for democracy.