"This summary presents the top-level findings of an eight-month research project aimed at assessing the needs of independent media in the EU Neighbourhood (East and South). The study was carried out by four international experts who visited 11 of the 16 partner countries and conducted interviews wit
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h more than 500 representatives from independent media, media support organisations and state bodies. They also reviewed around 800 studies, reports and articles covering media landscapes in the two regions. The aim of this initiative was to promote a better understanding of the challenges faced by independent media outlets in the target countries as well as to identify and highlight their development priorities. The experts also assessed the extent to which EU funding mechanisms are effective and appropriate in providing support to these stakeholders. The findings presented in the final report which was submitted to DG NEAR in February 2020 will help to inform EU funding programmes for independent media over the next four or five years. The research highlighted clear opportunities in both regions for bilateral engagement. Operating in an increasingly competitive and politicised market, independent media outlets share an interest in accessing funding to develop new content and explore innovative formats, particularly those that appeal to social media audiences. They also recognise the pressing need to diversify their revenue streams and increase their resilience to external pressures." (Introduction, page 3)
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"This review has shown that media assistance from donor sources enhanced the development of the African media generally especially after the Second World War, but the inability of outlets to sustain their operations financially usher them into the “operational survival phase” where private inves
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tors take over with sensationalism and profit-oriented objectives that tend to contradict the traditional functions of the media which donors envisaged. Moreover, the application for funding eligibilities, criteria, and prescribed reporting themes become conditions which to some extent strip off media’s ability to determine its own agenda, and ultimately independence. By this, the very models, “philanthro-journalism” and/or “NGO-funded” to protect and establish a resilient media system, are somewhat becoming a threat to media freedom in a masquerading form. Whenever donors are in the driving seat of setting media agenda, (a) local pressing issues are ignored or given less attention and (b) image of recipient countries is dented. These put the African media on the path to becoming controlled because as long as its quest for donor assistance is unceasing, then its susceptibility to demands of donors will abound." (Conclusion)
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"This report—which complements MIF’s in-person and online convenings throughout the year—aims to highlight trends in environmental media grantmaking, impact studies and examples of promising media projects, and insights from funders in the space. This report focuses on U.S. funders who give in
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the U.S. and globally, with funding data covering 2009–2019. Some grantmakers are newer to the field of environmental media philanthropy, and other earlier funders have shifted priorities to non-environmental media work. The big picture shows that while some funders have changed focus, overall funding is going up. We compiled graphics to highlight the top five media projects by four key environmental areas: wildlife, conservation, climate change and oceans. According to our grants data map, between 2009 and 2019, U.S.-based funders have made: $12 million in media grants for wildlife, $56 million in media grants for conservation, $81 million in media grants for climate change, $18 million in media grants for ocean-related efforts. The variety of media projects being supported—from geographic information systems to film and video—is significant, and targeted at a wide range of issues including land conservation, documenting and reporting on the impacts of climate change, wildlife protection and restoration of the ocean environment." (Executive summary)
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"Der Report „Wozu Non-Profit-Journalismus?“ macht sich für eine dritte Säule im Mediensystem stark: Der gemeinnützige Journalismus hält der Krise Antworten entgegen und leistet als Ergänzung zum öffentlich-rechtlichen und privaten Verlagsjournalismus einen Beitrag zur Medienvielfalt. Er is
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t frei von kommerziellen Interessen, sucht die Nähe zu seinen Nutzer*innen und agiert innovativ und lösungsorientiert. Der Report gibt erstmals einen Überblick über die Akteur*innen des gemeinnützigen Journalismus im deutschsprachigen Raum, er enthält Tipps für potenzielle Förderer*innen und nennt Empfehlungen für eine Reform des Gemeinnützigkeitsrechts." (https://rudolf-augstein-stiftung.de)
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"Media Audience Mapping & Targeting Techniques in West Africa: 1. Audience measurement and ratings culture: The culture of audience measurement and ratings is still very rudimentary in much of West Africa. Within the current media milieu, where new technologies are yielding new forms of content and
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channels, and given the trends towards multi-media, cross-media and trans-media models, audience insights need to be mainstreamed into the routines of media work by removing the skills deficits and logistics barriers to such effort [...] Media Capacity Building & Institutional Sustainability in West Africa: 1. Journalism professional training: Current journalism training activities have often not been informed by prior diagnosis of particular need, and are not designed to respond to the peculiar realities of the media in West Africa. Training models need to be more customised, coherent and comprehensive by ensuring that beneficiaries go beyond field reporters to include all actors along the value chain; combining a mix of models that are bespoke to particular circumstances; by training and renewing the skills and competences of media practitioners to respond to the digital media ecology [...] Media Ownership Patterns & Implications for Democratic Plurality in West Africa: 1. Regulation of ownership: There are growing concerns about a gradual and insidious hijacking of the media sphere by few dominant private owners and political patrons. Such an outcome raises the spectre of substituting state monopolies with private monopolies. There is a need for regulatory reforms to ensure that pluralism of ownership and diversity of interests are protected and promoted. This could include regulatory restrictions on multiple ownerships, mergers and network affiliations. There must also be transparency and equity in (especially broadcast) licensing processes, and in access to ownership and stakeholder information [...]" (Findings and recommendations, page 2-4)
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"The Access to Information Program (A2I) was a five-year Central Asia regional program funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Internews under Cooperative Agreement 176-14-00005 from October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2019. During the first phase of
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the project (2014-2017), Internews implemented activities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The second phase focused on activities in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan only, while Kyrgyzstan’s media sector was supported with a new standalone project. The project aimed to strengthen the long-term sustainability of targeted media outlets, facilitate regional cooperation and conduct a number of activities designed to promote the modernization of newsrooms throughout the region, improving the financial viability of media, and increasing access to information that will keep government institutions accountable to citizens. A2I activities were implemented toward the following Project Goal: Increase citizen access to civically-relevant information in order to improve governance outcomes. From October 1, 2014 until September 30, 2017, the project was based around the following four objectives: Objective One: Increased regional cooperation to improve the competitiveness of non-state media outlets through content generation and sharing; Objective Two: Increased resilience of independent media to survive the impending treaty mandated shift to digital broadcasting across Central Asia; Objective Three: Professional standards for diverse and sustainable media voices; Objective Four: Improved legislative and policy environment. In 2017, USAID awarded Internews a two-year cost extension, under which the program goal remained the same, but the objectives were slightly adjusted to reflect the changing environment and needs of the media community in Central Asia." (Executive summary)
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"Experts from 13 countries in the Middle East and North Africa agreed on the priorities that could provide the basis for greater collective action to defend independent media in the region. This report provides a summary of those deliberations [...] Building on and strengthening cross-country networ
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ks and exchanges would increase opportunities to learn, build partnerships, and coordinate strategies for media reforms. Such networks and exchanges should cut across sectors and engage diverse actors to enable a holistic approach to improving the enabling environment for media in the region. Strong regional voices for independent media are also important to ensuring that global support to the media sector is targeted and effective. Taking into account the complexity of the crisis and the diversity of experiences, the group identified four paramount challenges that could provide the basis for greater cross-border collaboration in support of independent media in the region: Fighting media capture through transparency, public pressure, and public education; Promoting economic sustainability for independent media under threat; Establishing self-regulation: capacity building and ethical norms; Building stronger solidarity against repression and for reform." (Key findings)
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"The Coordinadora de Medios Comunitarios, Populares y Educativos de Ecuador (CORAPE) is the biggest network of community media in Ecuador, and since 2016 has been the main partner of DW Akademie in that South American country. Between 2016 and 2019 the two organizations implemented a project finance
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d by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), with the aim to strengthen the work of community media in Ecuador in the provision of access to information to vulnerable populations, especially in indigenous languages. One central line of this project was the financial sustainability or viability of community media, which has historically been one of the greatest problems for this sector. The economic viability of community media worsened during the course of the project because of economic and political changes in the country: the fall in oil prices and state restructuring made necessary by the fiscal crisis caused a drastic reduction in advertising income for community media. The project was designed with the participation of CORAPE members, leading to the definition of four focus areas of media viability (advertising; projects and entrepreneurship; partnerships and alliances; production and programming) and the agreement on a series of methodological tools. A selection of eight community media outlets, which varied in their nature, organization, and sources of financing, participated in a process of self-analysis, external consultation, and peer exchanges with the goal of finding solutions to the viability of community media. In this way, they succeeded in defining a series of processes and created specialized tools that could be applied within the network, as well as to other community media in the world. This publication is divided into three chapters. The first presents background information, justification for the project, and the methodology used. The second shows the training procedures and best practices of four of the participating community media outlets. The final chapter reflects the learning outcomes of the project by recommending eight steps and tools to help community media achieve viability." (Page 7)
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"La Coordinadora de Medios Comunitarios, Populares y Educativos de Ecuador (CORAPE) es la red de medios comunitarios más grande de Ecuador y desde 2016 ha sido socio principal de DW Akademie en el país sudamericano. Entre 2016 y 2019 ambas organizaciones ejecutaron un proyecto financiado por el Mi
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nisterio de Cooperación Económica y Desarrollo alemán (BMZ) cuyo objetivo era el de fortalecer los medios comunitarios de Ecuador en su labor de brindar acceso a información a poblaciones vulnerables, especialmente en lenguas indígenas. Una línea central de este proyecto fue la sostenibilidad financiera de medios comunitarios, que históricamente ha sido uno de los grandes problemas que ha enfrentado este sector. La viabilidad económica de los medios comunitarios se vio agravada durante el proyecto debido a cambios económicos y políticos en el país: la caída del precio del petróleo y la reestructuración del estado por la crisis fiscal, llevaron a una drástica reducción de los ingresos por publicidad en los medios comunitarios. El proyecto se construyó de manera participativa con miembros de la red de CORAPE. Para ello se definieron cuatro enfoques de sostenibilidad financiera (publicidad; proyectos productivos y emprendimientos; alianzas y articulaciones; producción de programas) y se acordaron una serie de herramientas metodológicas. Una selección de ocho medios comunitarios, diversos en su carácter, constitución y en sus fuentes de financiamiento, participaron en un proceso de autoanálisis, asesorías externas e intercambios entre pares con el objetivo de buscar soluciones de sostenibilidad. De esta manera se lograron definir una serie de procesos y crear herramientas especializadas que pueden ser aplicadas en otros medios de la red, así como otros medios comunitarios en el mundo. Esta publicación se divide en tres capítulos. El primero de ellos presenta los antecedentes, justificación de este proyecto, y la metodología aplicada. El segundo capítulo muestra los aprendizajes y buenas prácticas de cuatro de los medios comunitarios que participaron de este proceso. Finalmente, el último de los capítulos recomienda ocho pasos y herramientas a seguir, que son el aprendizaje de este proyecto, para que los medios comunitarios puedan alcanzar la sostenibilidad." (Página 7)
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"Overall, this evaluation has shown that over the last biennia UNESCO has made significant achievements through its work in MIL and is holding the lead in this constantly evolving field that has gained increasing importance at the forefront of global and national agendas. It also revealed that MIL o
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ffers increasingly interdisciplinary opportunities for the Organization and strategic decisions are needed as to the level of priority and adequacy of resources required for optimally positioning this strand of work to contribute to the achievement of Agenda 2030 through a wide range of topics. Among other, work on data privacy and big data, media and freedom of expression areas, a focus on PVE and a boost towards the disinformation, life-long learning and artificial intelligence approaches, as well as an enhanced focus on disadvantaged groups and a more consistent approach to advancing gender equality will allow UNESCO to remain at the forefront and to keep and expand its intellectual and foresight role in the area of MIL." (Abstract)
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"DW Akademie collects and documents the impacts of its projects through a range of methods. There are three approaches that are currently standard in development cooperation: Applied studies, which enable new insights on impacts, impact-oriented monitoring performed with local partners in the course
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of project work, and evaluations prepared by external experts. The present volume focuses on additional methods for presenting impacts: reports from 13 different countries and quantitative data, so-called aggregated impact data, which are reg-ularly collected and bundled. Aggregated impact data sets provide a numerical overview of the people who have been reached through the work of DW Akademie. In 2018, for example, 9.6 million people in rural areas were provided with relevant information with the support of DW Akademie. 26.6 million people have benefited from the restructuring of their state broadcasters and now receive more diverse and attractive reporting. In this publication you will get to know some of the people behind these figures. Their stories are not representative of the totality of the supported target groups but they show which approaches and solutions have worked for individual people and why." (Introduction)
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"Seit einem halben Jahrhundert werden Journalisten aus dem globalen Süden von deutschen Organisationen fortgebildet. Doch inzwischen umfasst die Medienentwicklungszusammenarbeit mehr als Trainings." (Seite 22)
"2019 has seen major achievements resulting from needs-based, and specifically-tailored support through the Multi-Donor Programme on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists (MDP). Actions building on ongoing work and others opening new avenues, have initiated substantial changes in favour of
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freedom of expression and media development. The stories presented here are some examples of how the MDP works to provide countries and their populations with the necessary tools to nurture a free and independent media. This includes promoting the adoption of policies and standards on freedom of expression and safety of journalists, and fostering diversity, gender equality and media and information literacy through and with the media. Hence the name given to this series of articles: Let Free Media Thrive." (Editorial, page 2)
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"Media and Information Literacy (MIL) plays an essential role in helping people navigate the media. It helps them separate fact from fiction, exercise their right to access information and be active members of the media ecosystem. DW Akademie’s goal is to empower young people to be active and act
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responsibly in the media world." (Page 3)
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"The Media Freedom Analyzer developed by Laura Schneider is a new way to measure global media freedom in a more objective, unbiased and transparent way. Grounded in the opinions of around 1000 experts from 126 countries, the index is the first empirically validated tool to assess free and independen
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t media across the world. The existing press freedom rankings are frequently criticized for being arbitrary and having a Western bias. This book tackles this very problem. In times of widespread populism, disinformation and mistrust in the media, it is vitally important to have an assessment tool that is accepted across cultures." (Publisher description)
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"To attain gender equality as a long-term objective, a multi-layered strategy and action is required. In that process, media are a part of the problem, as well as they are a part of the solution. While it has been well established that media organizations can play an influential role in contributing
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to transformation and change in society, they also reflect the forms and patterns of prevailing societal values. In brief, by supporting media, USAID can further the implementation of gender-specific objectives through a dual-track approach that focuses on (1) improving the enabling environment for female journalists; and (2) facilitating production and dissemination of gender-sensitive content implemented through “media for development” and/or “media development” program strategies." (Recommendation, page 19)
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"This paper presents a new set of indicators to assess the viability of news media at a time when the discussion about the survival of quality media is omnipresent, while systematic, fact-based strategies to tackle the problem are omni-absent. As digital transformation is sweeping through the media
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industry, marking the death knell of traditional business models, new answers are needed. Based on its Media Viability Model, DW Akademie has developed a framework that allows media managers, media development experts, and academics to assess individual media outlets or entire information ecosystems in a practical, solution-oriented, and tailor-made way. The Media Viability Indicators (MVIs) look at five societal dimensions that influence the functioning and quality of news media: economics, politics, content and expertise, technology, and the community they are serving. They allow for gathering data and evidence sorely needed for more effective and substantiated strategies. The MVIs also aim to develop a common language about what media viability actually means and enhance the discussion on what needs to be taken into account when talking about the future of news media." (Page 1)
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"Radio stations across Africa are facing unprecedented threats to their sustainability due to weak media markets, limited advertising revenue and intense competition. A more pragmatic understanding of viability and more flexible donor strategies can help these outlets stay on air and maintain their
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independence. Station managers must continually balance editorial independence, financial sustainability, and their mission to serve the public. Addressing these three challenges is not always compatible, and trade-offs are often inevitable. Successful stations are able to harness viable funding modalities without selling out and capitalize on management and operations techniques to expand reach without compromising quality content. Marginal improvements in the flexibility of media donors and the media assistance community can foster greater viability and independence for small outlets in challenging context." (Key findings)
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