Media Development

This article outlines the findings from the first stage of a grassroots action research project conducted with a support group for women of lived prison experience, based in Adelaide, South Australia, to investigate radio production as a means for supporting women in their transition to life outside of prison. The research found that empowerment manifested itself in a number of distinct ways, through both processes and the products of the project. Through the production of radio, women of prison experience recognised their own expertise and took ownership of their stories, while the radio products educated the wider public and validated the participants’ experiences. Click here for full article ...
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Following decades of civil war, South Sudan still lacks a functioning healthcare system and has some of the worst maternal and child health indicators in the world. To help address this, between 2012 and 2017 BBC Media Action produced and broadcast a range of national radio programmes seeking to influence knowledge, attitudes, discussion and the social norms most likely to drive improvements in the RMNCH-related behaviours of women and their families. It also worked to strengthen the capacity of local radio stations to produce similar high-quality, audience-driven health programming. This report presents a synthesis of all research and analysis completed under this project. In brief, it finds that the challenging country context (e.g. the limited availability of quality healthcare nationally and the ongoing humanitarian crisis) limited the extent to which the project was able to contribute to improved health outcomes. Despite this, audiences were generally optimistic about the shows’ influence and value, and reported gaining knowledge and making some behavioural changes as a result of tuning in. Click here for full evaluation ...
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This workshop briefing, the second in a series of three, is part of a project focused on the representation of refugee and migrant children in European screen content for children. Hosted by the Danish Film Institute (DFI) on 19 and 20 March 2018 as part of the annual Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, CPH:DOX, two half-day workshops offered an opportunity to explore how the topic is handled in children’s content made in Denmark, the Netherlands, the UK and Germany. In all these countries, screen content that focuses on children newly arrived in Europe is rare. The few examples to touch upon these issues are commissioned and broadcast predominantly by public service broadcasters (PSBs), including Danmarks Radio (DR, Denmark), Nederlands Publieke Omroep (NPO, Netherlands), the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC, UK) and Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF, Germany). The Copenhagen workshops discussed formats that inform children through factual representations rather than fiction. Click here for full briefing ...
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As farmers, foresters and providers, women have a unique understanding of the ecosystems they live alongside. A radio programme in Malawi is tapping into this immense body of knowledge by creating a platform for women to engage in landscape restoration. This brief illustrates the work carried out by Farm Radio Trust on gender-sensitive radio programming on forest landscape restoration in Malawi, using the Her Voice on Air approach to engage women in crucial discussions both on-air and off air. Click here for full brief ...
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The three case studies presented in the publication "Audience Research in Media Development" are directly related to ongoing DW Akademie media development projects. The first case study addresses the measurement of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) of young media users aged 12 to 16 years in the Palestinian Territories (West Bank). The second focuses on the impact of radio broadcasts on women and land rights (station: Nam Lolwe) in Kenya. It was designed as a quasi-experiment, comparing listeners of the radio stations to potential listeners and non-listeners. The third study examines the social media strategies of two community radio stations (Granada Stereo and Contacto 10) in Colombia. It uses focus groups, a survey, and digital analytics methods. Results and lessons learned of all three case studies are presented in the publication. Click here for full report and case studies ...
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For some years now, media professionals and news industry insiders in Pakistan have spoken of a growing trend of self-censorship among local journalists. The self-censorship is argued to be a defense mechanism against threats, harassment, and acts of physical violence. However, a lack of tangible data about this phenomenon has often led to the issue being ignored in media policy discourse and efforts to ensure the safety of journalists. This study sets out to test the claims of self-censorship in the Pakistani news media through a survey of journalists working in the country. The study provides a rare glimpse at the extent and contours of contemporary self-censorship among Pakistani journalists. The results are frightening. Almost 88% of the journalist respondents claimed they had committed self-censorship in their professional news reporting. Around 79% said they had also self-censored their personal expression online. Through these and many related findings, the study tries to over insight about the factors influencing self-censorship in local journalism. The research also provides recommendations to tackle the issues that curb free expression in the Pakistani news media. In order to get local journalists to feel safe about their professional and personal expression, the study suggests actionable measures for news  media organizations, journalist unions, civil society organizations, political parties, ...
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Mainstream media coverage of humanitarian crises is “selective, sporadic, simplistic and partial", according to this new UEA survey. Respondents indicated widespread dissatisfaction with the quantity and quality of mainstream news coverage and highlighted a desire for more investigative reporting and scrutiny of the aid sector itself. The in-depth survey was conducted before the widely reported Oxfam UK sexual misconduct scandal by Dr Martin Scott, a senior lecturer in media and international development at the University of East Anglia (UEA), and humanitarian news agency IRIN News. It investigated how people working or interested in the humanitarian aid sector view global media coverage of humanitarian issues. Does the coverage do justice to critical issues? Does it include sufficient field reporting and reflect subject expertise? What are the main news sources? What impact, if any, does news coverage have on the respondents’ professional work? Many of the 1,626* respondents, who included aid workers, researchers and government officials, said mainstream news coverage concentrates on a small number of crises, thus relegating most crises as ‘neglected’ or ‘forgotten’. More than 70 per cent of respondents said the mainstream news media does not offer enough coverage of humanitarian issues. A common complaint was that mainstream news coverage ...
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The Baseline Study on the Working Conditions of Somali Women Journalists was conducted during September and October 2016, with the aim of improving understanding of the conditions for female journalists in Somalia via substantive, actionable datasets. The study was initiated by the Somali Women Journalists (SWJ) Association in collaboration with IMS-Fojo, in recognition of the absence of a single, centralised body of data on the status of women in the journalism profession. The collapse of the central government following the country’s prolonged civil war had devastating consequences for national infrastructure, media included. As Somalia begins to emerge from the ravages of civil war, the need for a comprehensive and gender inclusive media development strategy has been identified as an important component of the nation building process. Accordingly, this study was designed to identify existing gender disparities affecting the working conditions for journalists. The study seeks to provide key stakeholders with a clear perspective on the status quo, and inform responses to gender imbalances in Somali journalism. Click here for full study ...
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This new volume in the World Trends in Freedom of Expression and Media Development series offers a critical analysis of new trends in media freedom, pluralism, independence and the safety of journalists. With a special focus on gender equality in the media, the report provides a global perspective that serves as an essential resource for UNESCO Member States, international organizations, civil society groups, academia and individuals seeking to understand the changing global media landscape. Click here for full report ...
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The Humanitarian Advisory Group took a brief snapshot of online media covering humanitarian topics from two media outlets over a four-week period. The data indicates that women are underrepresented in humanitarian media—just 23% of officials and experts quoted were women. While this is no surprise—it reflects the underrepresentation of women in media more broadly—it is an issue that needs to be addressed. The authors argue this needs to be addressed because media shapes people’s perceptions of the roles of women, and unconscious bias impacts advancement in the workplace, and also because women are underrepresented in humanitarian leadership. Click here for full paper ...
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As elsewhere, public trust in the media is on the decline in Latin America and the Caribbean. Is this trend attributable to social media? To a broader anti-establishment backlash? Or does it reflect growing concerns over pluralism in the media and the dominant control of the media by a few elites. Understanding the public perceptions on these issues is essential for building broad coalitions for reform. In this report, an analysis of new data from the 2016/2017 AmerciasBarometer survey sheds light on these questions. In addition to surveying the public about press freedom and trust in the media, the latest AmericasBarometer questionnaire also includes five new questions specifically designed to gauge individual perceptions of media pluralism. Click here for full report ...
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The publication looks at the role played by media in framing the public debate on migration, with often divisive narratives that focus on the threats that refugees and migrants can pose to the security, welfare and cultures of European societies. Based on individual interviews, the qualitative study explores the media habits and particular needs of refugees and migrants in the domain of media communication. Good practice examples show how community media can meet these needs by offering training and spaces for self-representation, and by offering points of entry into local networks. Community media and their bottom-up approach to content production also contribute to a multilingual media environment that reflects the diversity of European societies and includes marginalised communities as respected part of audiences. Click here to access the report ...
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