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2021-04-22
West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI);
This paper assesses the influence of the media on the work of development organisations. It employed case study evidence of the comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) policy and the female genital mutilation (FGM) practice in Ghana. The paper argues that the media does not only impact the works of development organisations but influence their identity, how they are perceived and rated by the public, governments and donors which determines their ability to raise funds and achieve the objectives of their development interventions.The paper equally establishes that development organisations also influence the effectiveness of the media in discharging their duties. The paper calls for close partnership between the media and development organisations in sustaining and advancing their works.
2021-03-01
Center for International Media Assistance at the National Endowment for Democracy;
This consultative research presents a clear case for the value of a regional coalition to enhance media sector development and reform in Southern Africa. There is wide agreement on the ability for such an approach to enhance the capacities of media in the region, build networks of solidarity and support, and engage policymakers and legislators at the national and regional levels around issues of digital rights, media freedom, protection of journalists, and access to information.Experience with previous attempts at building and sustaining networks in the region has led stakeholders to believe that a lean, agile, and organic coalition would be more successful than a top-heavy, hierarchical structure. While challenges like coordinating funding opportunities, defining clear logistical and operational mechanisms, and finding the appropriate entry points to engage regional policymaking bodies and governments remain, there are already several examples of successful collaborations in the region and further afield on the continent that can serve as guidance and inspiration for such efforts.Perhaps most importantly, there was strong enthusiasm and motivation among the participants to work on a regional coalition, and a strong belief in the potential impact of such collaboration on media independence, sustainability, and political accountability in the region. As noted by one questionnaire respondent, "There are enormous opportunities. Africa really is the home not just of innovation, but of possibility. The biggest hurdles are commitment, proper resourcing, and clearly defined project goals."
2021-02-03
Center for International Media Assistance at the National Endowment for Democracy;
In the rapidly changing news ecosystems of emerging economies, news outlets are struggling to remain relevant and build loyal relationships with youth audiences (18 to 35 years old). As youth populations continue to grow in low-and-middle income countries, it is critical for independent media organizations to understand and respond to the changing news habits of younger generations. A snapshot of youth news consumption habits in Colombia, Ghana, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, and Thailand highlights that the predominance of smartphones, and increasing access to the internet and social media, is fundamentally altering how youth access, interact with, and value independent news.Youth audiences tend to access news through their smartphone, relying more on social media algorithms and news aggregators than loyalty to particular news brands.Youth generally do not feel that the traditional, mainstream news media reports on issues that are important to them, preferring to access a wider variety of news alongside other kinds of information and entertainment.Despite relying on social media for news, youth are wary about whether the information they see on the internet is true. There is a tension between the convenience social media provides for accessing news and its propensity to amplify misinformation and increase political polarization.
2021-01-25
International Forum for Democratic Studies;
Civil society organizations (CSOs) play a central role in addressing disinformation's growing impact on democracy. Given the vast scope of the global disinformation challenge, the landscape for CSOs working in this space has evolved rapidly in recent years. Established efforts to combat disinformation have incorporated the new challenges posed by social media into their agendas, while new initiatives have emerged to fill gaps in research, monitoring, and advocacy. The work of these organizations in the disinformation fight is critical for positively shaping policy making, improving platform responses, and enhancing citizen knowledge and engagement.Yet, CSOs face ongoing challenges in this complex and fast-changing field. How has civil society grown in its understanding and response to the digital disinformation challenge and what should be done to further empower this work?To acquire insights into these questions, this paper draws on two methods—a mapping exercise of civil society initiatives and a survey of leading CSOs working in this field. This approach reveals that CSOs bring a wide range of skill sets to the problem of digital disinformation. Some organizations focus on digital media literacy and education; others engage in advocacy and policy work. Another segment has developed expertise in fact-checking and verification. Other organizations have developed refined technical skills for extracting and analyzing data from social media platforms.This research yielded several clear observations about the state of CSO responses to disinformation and, in turn, suggests several recommendations for paths forward.
2021-01-01
Centre for Governance Studies;
While there has been a significant growth of the media industry during the last two decades, Bangladesh has also experienced serious erosion of media freedom. To unpack the complex relationship between ownership and media, gathering data and understanding the overlapping features of ownership are essential. It is against this background that this report has explored the question: who owns the media in Bangladesh? Relevant informationand statistics on the media in Bangladesh—both in terms of numbers of media outlets and their typologies, e.g., print, electronic, radio and web-based etc., the nature of media ownership and the scope of press freedom are presented in this report.
2021-01-01
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS);
Dozens of plans to help save journalism have emerged since the Covid-19 pandemic decimated media outlets around the world. This report summarizes some of the trends we've seen and evaluates where they currently stand. Most promising are Australia's efforts to get Google and Facebook to pay for news and efforts in the U.S. to get laws and investment that would support local news.
2021-06-01
International Media Support (IMS);
This briefing note is designed to give readers a basic understanding of the role of media regulatory and self-regulatory systems in promoting gender equality and inclusion. It highlights the main self- and regulatory systems that reflect or affect the role of media – from the perspective of gender – and will offer a basic understanding to inspire the reader to take action and initiate change in the field. The final goal is to help inspire the introduction of a co-regulatory system wherein both regulation and self-regulation models combine to improve women's human rights and gender equality in and through media, telecommunications, and digital platforms.The note is aimed at media practitioners who do not necessarily have a deep understanding of the field of gender in media development; it also aims to be of interest to and relevance for women's rights organisations, other civil society organisations, and those who want to push for gender equality and inclusion in and through the media.
2021-06-16
Center for International Media Assistance at the National Endowment for Democracy;
Political shifts in Southeast Europe over the past thirty years were followed by dramatic improvements in the media sectors of several countries, including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia. Yet, over the past decade, progress has stalled. Independent media in countries across Southeast Europe are under attack and must contend with declining revenue models, rampant disinformation, deepening encroachment of political and economic interests, and sustained harassment.With challenges come opportunities. Southeast Europe's strong tradition of regional cooperation for media reform can be leveraged to address the renewed threats independent media face. Countries in the region have shared cultural and trade ties, common media markets, and face similar threats to a free and independent press. They also benefit from numerous existing regional coalitions and networks that have worked for decades to develop shared norms and standards and promote cross-border knowledge sharing and solidarity.– Southeast Europe's regional media coalitions, organizations, and networks are a significant force for promoting media freedom, independence, and pluralism.– Regional coalitions are important drivers of national reform efforts. They need to be equipped to take advantage of new windows of opportunity and tap into the power and influence of the numerous multilateral organizations that serve the region.– The support of international donors and multilateral institutions is critical to advancing media reform agendas in Southeast Europe. However, more needs to be done to broaden and deepen support, and to tap into the collective capacities and assets of local media organizations and regional media coalitions.
2021-06-01
International Media Support (IMS);
In these turbulent times, people the world over are turning to the media for information they can rely on: quality media coverage that contributes to positive change, which advances human rights and democracy in the digital age.IMS' vision of peaceful, stable and democratic societies sustained, supported and promoted through strong and effective public interest media has never been as relevant during the organisation's 20-year history as it is today.In our Annual Report 2020 we showcase IMS' strategic priorities, our results and lessons learned from what was truly an extraordinary year.
2021-07-12
World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA);
In 2020, WAN-IFRA Women in News (WIN), in partnership with City, University of London, set out to establish the extent of sexual harassment in news organisations and to gauge their effectiveness in managing it. The research project focused on regions where WIN operates: Africa, the Arab region, Southeast Asia and Russia. In addition, a survey of Central America will begin soon.This report is a summary of its findings in Africa. The project included an online survey and interviews. Some 584 media professionals completed the online survey. They were from eight countries in Africa, namely Botswana, Malawi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The overall tally includes eight responses from within Africa that were outside the focus countries. WIN conducted supplementary interviews with 32 media executives from those countries.
2021-07-01
Ethical Journalism Network;
This policy report provides an overview of the challenges and opportunities that the media are facing in Slovakia. Based on a number of interviews that took place with key Slovak media stakeholders, it finds that the Slovak media landscape is currently the freest of the Visegrad countries, despite an increase in both government and oligarch control of media. These findings are in line with its RSF Press Freedom Ranking of 33rd place in 2020, up two places on the previous year. The murder of investigative reporter, Ján Kuciak, in 2018 was a turning point which established sense of solidarity amongst the media profession which is coupled with an apparent desire amongst some of the public to investigative journalism, demonstrated through their financial support of a number of influential independent media titles. There are some concerns in relation to mainstream media ownership which appears to remain firmly in the grip of a select number of financial groups and oligarchs with strong business and economic interests although a recent sale of shares in leading publication the Denník SME to the Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), a non-for-profit investment fund for independent media raises some hope. The government also continues to control the public media through politicised appointment processes and public advertising spend. The popularity of websites, which are typified by health disinformation and anti-European Union narratives, is a further cause for concern as similar narratives are now being disseminated by some of the online media. The tradition for investigative journalism is strong in Slovakia, however, and it is having some impact on policy and tackling corruption.
2021-02-01
International Forum for Democratic Studies;
This report describes the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) sharp power efforts to shape media content around the world. It also documents how nongovernmental actors contribute to a growing accumulation of activities aimed at countering Beijing's media influence while protecting democratic institutions.Leveraging propaganda, disinformation, censorship, and influence over key nodes in the information flow, Beijing's expanding efforts to shape global narratives go beyond simply "telling China's story." Their sharper edge undermines democratic norms, erodes national sovereignty, weakens the financial sustainability of independent media, and violates local laws. An acknowledgment and understanding of the challenges that China's party-state and related actors pose to media freedom globally—not only by China experts, but by the full array of nongovernmental actors engaged in the media, news, and technology sectors—must be central to a comprehensive response.
