"This evaluation of Andrew Lees Trust’s Projet Radio (ALT/PR) in Southern Madagascar examines the impact of radio broadcasts on audience knowledge and attitudes relating to certain MDGs. It finds that the project is achieving some notable success in changing and enhancing knowledge and attitudes o
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n topics including HIV/AIDS, family planning, mother and child health, environmental issues, social and administrative issues and gender inequality. Radio is also having a positive impact on uptake of health services, enrolment in literacy classes, construction of environmentally-friendly woodstoves, tree-planting, agricultural yields, and awareness of strategies for poverty reduction through incomegeneration and community associations. This evaluation looks at ALT/PR’s methods and organisation and finds many advantages to its particular three-way process of working. This involves radio stations, communities and local service-providers in a mutually advantageous partnership for the production, distribution and broadcasting of radio programmes. The provision of radio-sets to listening groups appears to be a very successful strategy, and our surveys show a high level of commitment and enthusiasm on the part of listeners, especially women. The ability of radio to scale-up and extend the on-the-ground work of local service-providers emerges quite clearly. Our study also looks at challenges that ALT/PR has tackled and, in some cases, is still facing. These are challenges involving management and networking in what is a particularly poor and disadvantaged area. The project still faces issues relating to ensuring its radio programmes are consistently and truly participative. Demand for its services is high and there is a risk of staff becoming over-stretched, particularly for senior management. ALT/PR is demonstrably cost effective and has a good local reputation, but fundraising continues to be a time-consuming preoccupation. ALT/PR is already tackling the major long-term challenge of sustaining the networking mechanism it has set up, and we highlight some encouraging signs of sustainability." (Abstract)
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"What is dialog, and how can it be measured in a meaningful way? In this article, Jacobson presents an approach to assessing participatory communication based on communication in the form of dialog as conceptualized by Jurgen Habermas." (Abstract)
"The potential of media to encourage democratic development cannot be denied. Media give people a voice, acting as a balance and watchdog to potential government misconduct. Without a voice, citizens cannot be heard; with a voice, they cannot be ignored. Media provide a window into the inner working
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s of the government, thereby increasing transparency and reducing corruption. Not only are countries more democratic with free and independent media, but their governments are also more accountable. Media’s impact is not limited to the political realm. A country’s economy benefits by being more open. By having access to economic information, citizens are better informed about what is happening in their communities and in commercial and financial markets, allowing them to make better informed choices. Overall society benefits, too. In addition to current events, media educate the public on issues related to health, the environment, women, children, and minorities. Independent media give voice to those whose voices often are not heard and engage marginalized groups in a more participatory discussion of programs that impact their lives. Democratic, social, political, and economic development goes hand-in-hand with media development. While short-term projects that utilize media for specific goals—health information campaigns for example—have an impact on their intended sector, a more comprehensive media development strategy holds the potential to create the conditions for sustainable democratic and economic development." (Page 20)
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"In this paper we will be looking at the evidence of impact from interventions in the so-called ‘traditional’ media – TV, radio and, to a much lesser extent, print – and factors contributing to that impact. By ‘media interventions’ we mean using mass-media in support of development objec
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tives and as part of development projects to help bring about behaviour change – for instance, the use of TV/radio spots (also known as PSAs – public service announcements) to promote condom use, or radio programmes to promote better agricultural practices. This should not be confused with so-called ‘media development’, which aims to create independent and professional media, recognising the potential of the media as an important independent agent of social and political change, for example in governance." (Introduction)
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"This is intended to be a "practical" book. It is filled with examples and case studies that illustrate ways that carefully planned and implemented communication interventions have produced positive results. It is also filled with ideas from people who have experienced the challenges of communicatin
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g effectively in development programs. We are indebted to them and I am pleased to provide their ideas - frequentyl in their own words - to th readers of this book, and provide web links to their works. In spinning all of these valuable resources together I have added my own insights based on almost four decades of communication and development experience in countries ranging from Guatemala to Western Samoa, with many other stops in Asia, Africa and Latin America." (Foreword)
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"This note offers a brief and non-technical introduction to indicators and monitoring tools relevant to communication for development in Danida’s countries of cooperation. It is primarily aimed at supporting staff at Danish representations or at HQ responsible for preparing and managing Danish bil
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ateral development assistance. The note may also be of assistance to those in the partner organisations of Danish aid who are responsible for monitoring, their Danida advisers, and consultants who assist in preparing and managing programmes and projects. [...] This note contains a background chapter on the strategic framework and types of Danish support for communication and development (Chapter 2), followed by a presentation of internationally defined goals, indicators and targets (Chapter 3). Subsequently, Chapter 4 addresses the issue of objectives and indicators at the national level, i.e. in PRSPs. Finally, Chapters 5, 6 and 7 are concerned with the level of the sector itself and the Danish support for it (SPS - sector programme support), discussing relevant indicators and related monitoring tools and methods at this level." (Introduction)
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"Given the prevailing environment, radio cannot better engage development, and this is in spite of the qualities of radio that endear it to development agencies and governments elsewhere. As Ojebode (forthcoming b) suggests, for radio to realise its potentials as a development medium in Nigeria, som
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e far-reaching and major restructuring need to be effected, and the current media landscape must be altered.
First, and the one that requires the strongest political will, is that government should take its hands off radio. A truly public service system should be put in place [...]
The second suggestion towards making radio engage development more fruitfully is that government should stop vacillating over the establishment of community radio. Our study shows that radio stations are alienated from the community and from listeners [...]
Third, development planning and practice in Nigeria should be integrated. In Nigeria, different government and development agencies work independently and often at cross purposes [...]
The fourth suggestion, which is related to the third, is the need to ensure that the tasks radio encourages people to perform in its jingles and programmes are feasibly supported by existing infrastructure [...]
The fifth step we must take is that government must support private stations in order for them to more fruitfully participate in development communication. Our study shows that these stations devote more time to development issues than do government stations [...]
Finally, we suggest that Nigerian communication schools and colleges review their curricula to include topics on public journalism. Also known as civic or citizen journalism, public journalism seeks to put the citizens at the centre of news and reports." (Recommendations, page 58-59)
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"The Rio Tinto ilmenite mine in the Fort Dauphin area of southern Madagascar is the first of a number of mining projects planned for Madagascar with the support of the World Bank. The effects of this mine are widespread, not only on the people and economy of the region but also on its unique environ
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ment. 'A Mine of Information?' examines the debates, grievances, consultations and negotiations that have taken place between the mining company and the many different stakeholders affected by the project, not least members of the local community. The report reveals the gaps in consultation and communication and assesses the consequences. It raises questions to be considered by all stakeholders, making recommendations for essential improvements in communication." (Back cover)
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"In the UN system, conflicts and contradictions seldom concern the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as such, but rather the means of achieving them. These differences of opinion about priorities, and about how much and to whom development aid or assistance should be directed, could be explained b
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y analysing the ontological, epistemological and methodological assumptions underpinning the general perspectives in the communication for development (C4D) field. Theoretical changes in the perspective on development communication (modernization, dependency, multiplicity) have also reached the level of policy-makers. As a result, different methodologies and terminologies have evolved, which often make it difficult for agencies, even though they share a common commitment to the overall goals of development communication, to identify common ground, arrive at a full understanding of each other’s objectives, or to cooperate effectively in operational projects. Consequently, it is difficult for development organizations in general and UN agencies in particular to reach a common approach and strategy." (Abstract)
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"This discussion has critically appraised the two training models that universities have employed in their communication for development programmes. These are the development communication and social change approaches. While the former is rooted in sustainable livelihood approaches, the latter is fo
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rmulated on the springboard of public philosophy and social change theories. The discussion has observed that the DevCom approach was specifically designed to deal with developing world problems of underdevelopment, poverty and inequality resulting largely from colonial experiences. On the other hand, the social change model has adapted the DevCom model so as to engineer communication processes that deal with developed societies as well as embrace new media and new social challenges like governance, conflict and human rights." (Page 59)
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"HEARTLINES is an innovative programme developed by The Mass Media Project in South Africa. The intervention’s purpose is to address South Africa’s social issues, such as HIV and AIDS, crime, violence and the breakdown of family and social structures. HEARTLINES is unique in its approach in that
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it addresses these issues through values – the primary aim of the intervention is to promote reflection on people’s value systems and how these values are lived out in daily life. Over 85% of South Africans adhere to religious beliefs which have clear moral ideals and principles. One explicit strategy of HEARTLINES is to build on this already established authority of religious and spiritual beliefs. Using the authority of FBOs and religious faith, the Mass Media Project aims to promote values, to encourage people to live out their values more fully, and provide tools for this purpose. This evaluation is focused on the first stage of the HEARTLINES intervention. This included two main initiatives, namely, the national broadcast of 8 HEARTLINES films or dramas, with supporting print and below-the-line media components and secondly, the start of social mobilisation of faith-based organisations, where FBOs were provided with relevant tools to teach values and encouraged to undertake discussion-based activities. This first stage of HEARTLINES was evaluated using scientifically rigorous evaluation methods. During the 8 weeks of broadcast, an estimated 26% of the adult population, or 7.3 million adults watched one or more of the HEARTLINES films on television." (Executive summary)
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"Highlights the relevance of radio in poor communities, its broad applicability to a range of sectoral activities such as health, rights, education, livelihoods, and conflict prevention, and identifies the need to deepen the capacity of radio broadcasters at all levels to conduct effective monitorin
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g and evaluation, so as to begin the process of developing a rigorous information and communication for development evidence base which highlights radio's - and other communications mediums - strategic contribution to the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals." (Executive summary)
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