Africa’s media pushes for more freedom

In the perennial war between governments and the media over what the public should know, few battles have been fought as stubbornly as the one between the late Nigerian military ruler, Gen. Sani Abacha, and the “guerrilla journalists” of Tell magazine. The popular newsweekly earned the general’s ire by criticizing his 1993 coup and reporting too closely on his administration’s inner workings. In response, the government shuttered the magazine’s offices and jailed a senior editor.