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The State of Humanitarian Journalism (UEA, 2018)

This report presents some of the findings from a four-year global research project into the state of humanitarian journalism around the world. The authors asked:

  1. Which news organisations regularly report on humanitarian affairs? How are they funded, and what ethical problems or professional dilemmas does this create for journalists covering humanitarian affairs?
  2. When natural disasters and violent conflicts are reported, what kinds of journalistic coverage do they receive? Do news outlets differ from one another, and if so, how?
  3. How interested are news audiences in journalism about humanitarian affairs? How well does existing coverage serve their needs, and the needs of those involved in international aid? Which significant ‘gaps’ are there in news provision?
  4. What effects does news coverage have on public attitudes towards international aid?

Their analysis of news coverage reveals that only a small handful of international news outlets regularly report on humanitarian affairs, and identified a number of important gaps in humanitarian news coverage. Almost no articles looked at the specific problems faced by women and girls in relation to the conflicts in Yemen and South Sudan in 2017, for example.

Click here for the full report.

Adolescents with disabilities: enhancing resilience and delivering inclusive development (GAGE Consortium Report, 2018)

This new report takes stock of what is known about adolescents with disabilities living in the global South. Drawing on interviews with approximately 600 adolescent girls and boys with physical, visual, hearing or intellectual impairments, as well as interviews with their parents, teachers and other service providers, it also presents emerging findings from the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) research programme in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Jordan and the State of Palestine. This report focuses, for the first time, on the intersection of age and disability – specifically the unique needs of adolescents with disabilities – and the gender dynamics that shape girls’ and boys’ lives. Alongside this, it also looks at the particular experiences of adolescents with disabilities who grow up in rural areas and conflict-affected contexts.

Click here for more details and full report.

‘What Violence Means to Us: Women with Disabilities Speak’ (Inclusive Friends and NSRP Research Study, 2015)

There is growing recognition in Nigeria and across the world of the need to protect and promote the rights of women and people with disabilities in times of relative peace, insecurity and violent conflict. Through treaties, resolutions of the Security Council and General Assembly, as well as national policies – including National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security – countries have committed to ensuring that conflict resolution, security operations and peacebuilding policies and practices are inclusive. However, to date, this commitment has not translated to positive and genuine impact experienced by women with disabilities, who face double marginalisation due to their gender and their disability. Very little research has been conducted on women with disabilities and their specific experiences of conflict and violence. As a result, many government and civil society policies, programmes and services do not take these realities into account.

Click here for full study.

New Technology and the Prevention of Violence and Conflict (International Peace Institute Report 2013)

This report explores the ways in which ICTs and the data they generate can assist international actors, governments, and civil society organizations to more effectively prevent violence and conflict. It examines the contributions that cell phones, social media, crowdsourcing, crisis mapping, blogging, and big data analytics can make to short-term efforts to forestall crises and to long-term initiatives to address the root causes of violence. Five case studies assess the use of such tools in a variety of regions (Africa, Asia, Latin America) experiencing different types of violence (criminal violence, election-related violence, armed conflict, short-term crisis) in different political contexts (restrictive and collaborative governments).

We’re Still Listening: A Survey of the Media Landscape in the Accessible Areas of South Sudan in 2015 (USAID, Internews, and Forcier Consulting 2015)

South Sudan is the world’s youngest and most fragile country and its media landscape reflects these challenges. While the media sector has made gains in recent years, it remains challenged by a rapidly changing environment and a population lacking access to reliable and trustworthy information. Likewise, media sector actors lack reliable data on the extent of the population’s information needs and media access. These challenges are further exacerbated by conflict that has once again developed into civil war and an ensuing widespread humanitarian crisis since December 2013. Despite the immense problems that South Sudan faces, its media landscape provides significant opportunities for growth.

Internews commissioned Forcier Consulting to conduct an audience survey in South Sudan. While the ongoing security situation prevents coverage of the country on a fully national basis, this study set out to collect information on South Sudanese media access and consumption to inform the strategies and programming of media houses and media initiatives. This study is the first detailed analysis of the media landscape in South Sudan since the wide-scale conflict began in December 2013. Conducted across the country in April 2015, this survey collected data on media usage from 3,710 respondents. This survey does not purport to be nationally representative, but rather, is representative of the population that could be safely accessed in April 2015.

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