"This article examines the changing role of radio for development in sub-Saharan Africa as ‘new’ Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) increasingly enter the information landscape. Grounded in the empirical findings of a research programme – Radio, Convergence and Development in Af
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rica (RCDA) – it explores the potential for convergent communication technologies to improve knowledge transfer and knowledge sharing between development actors at all levels. By drawing on research carried out as part of the RCDA programme, this article raises questions about the ability for radio broadcasters to act as ‘knowledge intermediaries’ in this context – brokering and translating information about development issues between international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), local NGOs, grassroots advocacy groups and local beneficiaries. It draws attention to the barriers impeding their ability to fulfill this role by highlighting issues related to ICT convergence, capacity, funding and ‘NGO-isation’." (Abstract)
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"In recent decades the Maasai of East Africa have undergone substantive cultural change in response to national development efforts. This study uses participant observation, in-depth interviews, and digital photography to better understand the lived experience and development perspectives of Maasai
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women. Through dialog about digital photographs they had taken, Maasai women powerfully articulated their concerns and ideas about development and social change within their communities. Results show that Maasai women have a keen sense of the potential benefits and pitfalls of the social changes they are experiencing, particularly with regards to marriage relationships, gender norms, and education. Implications of the study of participants’ adept use of digital photography to facilitate dialog about development and social change are discussed." (Abstract)
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"Guided by two overarching questions – do people want or need health news, and are they satisfied with the health news available to them – Internews used a mixed methods approach, conducting surveys, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, as well as mining years of project data and rep
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orts. In general, the assessment found that the media is a key factor in improving the lives of Kenyans by providing more, better, and deeper coverage of complex health issues that matter to them." (Internews website)
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"Since the Bihar flooding, First Response India has gone on to train other teams in disaster radio response. Its aim is to equip other teams across India with the skills needed to improve collaboration and communication with people affected by crisis. Radio can also play a key role in other phases o
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f the disaster. This was demonstrated in the 2005 Pakistan earthquake where radio was used in a variety of ways during the rehabilitation stage. Broadcasts included interviews with experts on stress management, medical treatment and dealing with after shocks. Community members spoke on tolerance, promoting dialogue (following outbreaks of violence in the community). Radio also has a role to play in mitigation and in reducing communities’ vulnerabilities to disasters. This is part of Feba’s community radio strategy. Feba has provided two rural community stations in Nepal with suitcase studios and training, which they use for community based programming – including health, sanitation, governance, rights, local music and dialogue. Effective communication and information flow has the potential to transform communities and save lives. In the disaster context, this potential can only be realized if accurate and timely information is combined with effective communication at all stages of the disasters and between all players. In the right hands, radio can be a powerful tool to help this process. It can provide a voice and a platform for the people who, ironically, are often not included or consulted in the humanitarian response – the affected community." (Conclusion, page 3)
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"Audience segmentation is generally associated with strategic communication (such as advertising and public relations), where content is manipulated to suit reader preferences. News has generally been considered truth-telling unvarnished by such concerns. This article compares how news of the same h
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umanitarian crisis [in Darfur, Sudan] was designed by 10 news organizations in seven countries for different market segments. Comparisons showed statistically significant differences in representation, influenced in part by what the audience-market was. Like advertising, news seemed to share an attribute with the strategic design of advertising and public relations. Increasingly carried online, news will be vulnerable to click-based customization of content like advertising is, taking us beyond currently observed geopolitical influences on segmentation to advertiser and market-based differences." (Abstract)
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"The author discusses the challenges of using radio as a tool for community engagement in development. It examines specific case studies from the African continent. The book also considers the different ways governments, organizations, broadcasters and communities can use radio networks as instrumen
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ts of participatory knowledge production, exchange and utilization so as to bring about change and development. Thus, this book is relevant to global discourses on communication and development. It demonstrates how elusive participation can become if implemented without adequate consideration of power relationships within indigenous and local knowledge systems. It proposes that more effective radio for development initiatives should be built on participatory action research, local communication needs, and indigenous knowledge systems. Effective radio should rely on relevant broadcasting technology and infrastructure, and designed to operate independently of donor funds." (Back cover)
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"The process of knowledge brokering in the agricultural sector, where it is generally called agricultural extension, has been studied since the 1950s. While agricultural extension initially employed research push models, it gradually moved towards research pull and collaborative research models. The
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current agricultural innovation systems perspective goes beyond seeing research as the main input to change and innovation, and recognises that innovation emerges from the complex interactions among multiple actors and is about fostering combined technical, social and institutional change. As a result of adopting this innovation systems perspective, extension is refocusing to go beyond enhancing research uptake, and engaging in systemic facilitation or what has been called ‘innovation brokering’. Innovation brokering is about performing several linkage building and facilitation activities in innovation systems, creating an enabling context for effective policy formulation and implementation, development and innovation. Conclusions are that an innovation systems perspective also has relevance for sectors other than agriculture, which implies that in these sectors knowledge brokering as enhancing research uptake and use should be complemented with broader innovation brokering activities." (Abstract)
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"In the field of citizen media research, considerably less attention has been paid to countries other than the US and those in Western Europe. This article is a case study that focuses on citizen media in Beijing – specifically, the Dazhalan [participatory video] project. Combining in-depth interv
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iews and textual analysis, the article demonstrates the uniqueness of citizen media under China’s state-party media system. The article also suggests that it was the collaboration among ordinary citizens, professionals and journalists that made it possible for citizen media to influence the mainstream media frame-building process." (Abstract)
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