Propaganda
The use of propaganda in the Rwandan genocide is central to the genocide being able to happen at all. Propaganda can be defined as, “a deliberate and systematic attempt to shape perceptions, manipulate cognitions, and direct behavior the achieve a response that furthers the desired intent of the propagandist” (Gulseth). The Hutus used newspapers and radios to spread their hate of the Tutsi to other Hutus. They used harsh words to describe the Tutsi and used fear of the Tutsi to generate hate which they, the Hutus, would further stir up to get Hutus to mass kill the Tutsi.
The Kangura was the largest and most influential newspaper leading up to the genocide in Rwanda. The newspaper was started in October of 1990, right after the invasion of Rwanda by the RPF, which is the Tutsi rebel forces (“Propaganda and Practice”). This newspaper became popular very fast and replaced a newspaper, Kanguka, that was run by the RPF (“Kangura Articles”). The Kangura was supported by the Rwandan government and "received support from officials and business men linked to the regime" of President Habyarimana (“Propaganda and Practice”). The politics of Rwanda were the focus of the paper, but there was anti-Tutsi propaganda scattered throughout the issues (“Kangura Articles”). Some of this propaganda included graphic cartoons and articles like "A cockroach cannot give birth to a butterfly", meaning that a Tutsi could not give birth to a Hutu or to anything that is as important or as beautiful as the Hutu themselves. The RTLM radio station was an ally to the Kangura because they were both in the "fight to defend the republic" of Rwanda from the Tutsis (“Propaganda and Practice”). Things like "The Hutu Ten Commandments" were printed in the newspaper to create a feeling of superiority for the Hutus and to make the Tutsis seem less than trash to the Hutus. They hinted at the possibility of genocide and the assassination of President Habyarimana as well. The Kangura stopped printing before the three month genocide began, but it had already created deeper ethnic divides and more tension between the Tutsi and the Hutu than ever before (“Kangura Articles”).
Radio Rwanda was the main radio station in Rwanda before the genocide. It was the "voice of the government and of the president himself" (“Propaganda and Practice”). Many times there would be false information that was broadcast. The majority of the people believed these fallacies because they had no way to verify the information. In March of 1992, Radio Rwanda gave a false broadcast that "warned that Hutu leaders... were going to be murdered by the Tutsis" (“Propaganda and Practice”). The government then tried to steer the radio station towards a "more nonpartisan stance," with less bias towards the Tutsi, in April of 1992 (“Propaganda and Practice”). This radio station was eventually absorbed into the RTLM radio station.
The RTLM radio station was created by Hutu "hardliners" and extremists that wanted all of the Tutsi people to be killed (“Propaganda and Practice”). They started broadcasting in early July of 1993. The RTLM, which stands for Radio-Télévision Libre des Milles Collines or Free Radio and Television of the Thousand Hills, was run and staffed by Hutu extremists. Their messages were anti-Tutsi and they encouraged the killers during the genocide. A lot of times, the station would broadcast the whereabouts of specific Tutsis in order for the Hutus to kill them. This station was very influential before and during the genocide because it had no interruptions during its broadcasts (“R.T.L.M. Transcripts”). The RTLM was also used strategically during the genocide. Code phrases such as , “cut down the tall trees” and “crush the cockroaches”, were used to signal the Hutu to begin killing the Tutsi (Rosenberg).
The Kangura was the largest and most influential newspaper leading up to the genocide in Rwanda. The newspaper was started in October of 1990, right after the invasion of Rwanda by the RPF, which is the Tutsi rebel forces (“Propaganda and Practice”). This newspaper became popular very fast and replaced a newspaper, Kanguka, that was run by the RPF (“Kangura Articles”). The Kangura was supported by the Rwandan government and "received support from officials and business men linked to the regime" of President Habyarimana (“Propaganda and Practice”). The politics of Rwanda were the focus of the paper, but there was anti-Tutsi propaganda scattered throughout the issues (“Kangura Articles”). Some of this propaganda included graphic cartoons and articles like "A cockroach cannot give birth to a butterfly", meaning that a Tutsi could not give birth to a Hutu or to anything that is as important or as beautiful as the Hutu themselves. The RTLM radio station was an ally to the Kangura because they were both in the "fight to defend the republic" of Rwanda from the Tutsis (“Propaganda and Practice”). Things like "The Hutu Ten Commandments" were printed in the newspaper to create a feeling of superiority for the Hutus and to make the Tutsis seem less than trash to the Hutus. They hinted at the possibility of genocide and the assassination of President Habyarimana as well. The Kangura stopped printing before the three month genocide began, but it had already created deeper ethnic divides and more tension between the Tutsi and the Hutu than ever before (“Kangura Articles”).
Radio Rwanda was the main radio station in Rwanda before the genocide. It was the "voice of the government and of the president himself" (“Propaganda and Practice”). Many times there would be false information that was broadcast. The majority of the people believed these fallacies because they had no way to verify the information. In March of 1992, Radio Rwanda gave a false broadcast that "warned that Hutu leaders... were going to be murdered by the Tutsis" (“Propaganda and Practice”). The government then tried to steer the radio station towards a "more nonpartisan stance," with less bias towards the Tutsi, in April of 1992 (“Propaganda and Practice”). This radio station was eventually absorbed into the RTLM radio station.
The RTLM radio station was created by Hutu "hardliners" and extremists that wanted all of the Tutsi people to be killed (“Propaganda and Practice”). They started broadcasting in early July of 1993. The RTLM, which stands for Radio-Télévision Libre des Milles Collines or Free Radio and Television of the Thousand Hills, was run and staffed by Hutu extremists. Their messages were anti-Tutsi and they encouraged the killers during the genocide. A lot of times, the station would broadcast the whereabouts of specific Tutsis in order for the Hutus to kill them. This station was very influential before and during the genocide because it had no interruptions during its broadcasts (“R.T.L.M. Transcripts”). The RTLM was also used strategically during the genocide. Code phrases such as , “cut down the tall trees” and “crush the cockroaches”, were used to signal the Hutu to begin killing the Tutsi (Rosenberg).
(Play from 0:26 to 0:57)