Hate Radio in Cote d'Ivoire

I sometimes sit here and just shake my head. Dumbfounded. In disbelief, wondering if we as a species have learned nothing at all. I have been following the Ivory Coast situation (they are our neighbors, after all) and came across the following today:

Hate broadcasts spurring Ivory Coast attacks - UN

Ivory Coast radio stations are inciting people to arm themselves and attack the United Nations, the world body said yesterday, calling on the government to immediately halt the hate broadcasts. "This is unacceptable and must cease immediately," UN chief spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, calling the broadcasts "particularly disturbing" as a wave of attacks on UN peacekeepers went into a third day.

After close to a million are slaughtered in Rwanda, why do the media, and radio in particular, have to incite such hate? And it makes me wonder if what I do as a journalism trainer is worth it, if it can possibly change anything ? Can we possibly effect change? And then I’m hit with the realization that in some countries journalists are under attack (eg. Jill Carroll in Iraq) while in others “journalists” use their position to access the airwaves in such destructive ways. How sad.