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Radio Kwizera: Media development in crisis regions

Sheila Mysorekar

Deutsche Welle DW Akademie, March 12 (2024)

"Kwizera" means hope. Since 2020, DW Akademie has been supporting a radio station of the same name in northwestern Tanzania. It provides vital information to refugees and the surrounding communities." (Introduction)

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Creative Experiences to Encourage Participation. The Power of the Voice: Community Media in Latin America

Magnus Kossmann

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2023), 88 pp.

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Strategic Plan 2022-2025: Free Media. Free Expression. Free Societies

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2023), 15 pp.

"Armed conflicts around the globe, increasing attacks on journalists in many parts of the world, and further expanding areas of fragility have contributed to new challenges for the safety of journalists. Against this backdrop, DW Akademie is proud to be part of the newly established Hannah Arendt In ... itiative, a network of civil society organizations that protects and supports journalists from Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia and Belarus who are under threat as they conduct their important work. The initiative receives funding from the German Federal Foreign Office (AA) and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM). Among the pilot projects are training measures, regional scholarship programs and exile journalism centers in countries abroad as well as corresponding measures for journalists living in exile in Germany. For many years, DW Akademie has worked on different levels to counter the increasing wave of disinformation that pollutes public discourse in many parts of the world. It is our conviction that free and diverse media systems with strong media self-regulation and well-informed, media-savvy citizens are more resilient towards divisive disinformation from malignant actors. While the ways to mitigate the effects of disinformation, information manipulation and interference are well understood, the situation remains challenging in many of DW Akademie’s partner countries. DW Akademie continues to strive for a world without social discrimination, with a particular regard towards gender equality. In many parts of the world, women are still excluded from getting an education, from taking part in society and from exercising their right to freedom of expression solely because of their gender. Women drive human development. DW Akademie is working for a world where women and girls have equal access to information and where they can freely express their opinions online and offline without fear. DW Akademie expects the current year and beyond to bring new fragilities related to the ongoing climate and environmental crisis, forced migration, poverty, and other main challenges for human development. Crises can be dealt with better when everyone affected has access to reliable, constructive and conflict-sensitive information that fosters mutual understanding, conflict resolution, and social cohesion. And this holds true even more in the face of the latest developments in the field of artificial intelligence and an expected new transformative wave for the global digital information ecosystem. Important challenges remain regarding the persistent trends of democratic backsliding and growing digital authoritarianism in many parts of the world. DW Akademie remains committed to strongly advocating for the protection of freedom of expression online and offline, access to information, the safety of journalists, the immediate release of imprisoned media workers, and for an end to impunity for crimes against journalists. The fact that DW itself is being censored in several countries increases our determination. While DW Akademie aims at expanding its presence in partner countries, we consider ourselves fortunate to work within a strong and dedicated network of partner organizations of all shapes and sizes in almost every part of the world to advance human development by strengthening freedom of expression, high-quality journalism, equal social participation, peaceful conflict resolution, and good governance." (Outlook, page 4) more

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Georgia: Media Freedom in Decline

Elena Zondler, Ekaterine Basilaia, Alexander Matschke, Evelin Meier

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2023), 14 pp.

"Verbal, physical and digital attacks on journalists and media outlets, polarized media and lack of independent funding: DW Akademie's new discussion paper highlights recent challenges facing the Georgian media sector." (https://akademie.dw.com)

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La deuda en Alfabetización Mediática e Informacional en Centroamérica: Necesidades de las y los jóvenes en Guatemala y El Salvador para un uso inteligente de medios

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2023), 51 pp.

"Las competencias y conocimientos en Alfabetización Mediática e Informacional (AMI) sirven para enfrentar fenómenos como la desinformación, la discriminación, el discurso de odio y el ciberacoso. La AMI se puede transmitir de diversos modos: se puede aprender con materiales lúdicos en la escue ... more

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DW Akademie Report 2022/23: Developing Media. Strengthening Human Rights

Alex Bodine, Nils Brock, Klaus Dahmann et al.

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2023), 61 pp.

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Constructive Journalism: Toolkit for Trainers

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2023)

"This guide is for trainers who wish to introduce the concepts of constructive journalism to reporters and editors. It is aimed at journalists who wish to apply these principles as well as at editors interested in implementing a constructive approach in the newsroom or in creating constructive forma ... more

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How to Foster Constructive Dialogue as Part of Media Development? Lessons from a Case Study on Interactive Radio Formats in Niger

Ines Drefs, Lamine Soleymane

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2023), 22 pp.

"This case study shows that media development endeavors to foster constructive dialogue require concerted effort. They have to be in closely interwoven with local realities and needs — be it at the country, community or individual level. The example of interactive radio formats in Niger illustrate ... more

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Safety and Security of Journalists: Results of a Global Analysis

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2023), 26 pp.

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Media Loves Tech: Impact Stories

Asma Habidi, Benoit Faedo, Leah Winnett, Louisa Wright

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2023), 24 pp.

"MEDIA LOVES TECH is the name and the idea behind this project that got underway in 2018. The goal is to bring together two worlds that are often too far apart: journalism and the startup community. Together with Al Khatt, a local project partner and non-governmental media organization, we wanted to ... scout, promote, develop and test innovations for the media sector. That same year, a legal support framework for startups in Tunisia came into effect, structured around a label of merit and benefits for entrepreneurs, investors and startups. Just like MEDIA LOVES TECH, it aims to support development through bold entrepreneurial spirit and innovative ideas. Since its launch, the annual MEDIA LOVES TECH incubation program, financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), supports eight to twelve startups. Implemented almost entirely online, and originally as a three-day mentor-supported hackathon, it has grown to become an incubation cycle that lasts three months. It promotes all phases of a startup — from the original idea to market entry. It has been five years since the program was started and it is still going strong. This publication is an initial assessment. Does the belief that progress comes from promoting innovation hold true? Can promoting new media projects with viable business models succeed in an unstable economic or political environment? One needs to look at various aspects to find answers. It is often said that over 90 percent of startups go under in the first two years. Still, startups are often seen as a forerunner to economic development and as having a stimulating effect on the overall economy. Even if initiatives do flop, their traces can still be found in the ecosystem. When assessing the MEDIA LOVES TECH program, it is worth reflecting on what has been achieved and gaining insights for the future. Five projects are presented here. Our team has taken an in-depth look at the projects’ stories and progress and includes key performance indicators. Measuring impact in an unsteady startup environment can be a challenge, and our success stories address this. But as we at DW Akademie believe, “big changes start small,” and so do the startups presented here." (Foreword) more

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The state of media development: Global evidence on relevant and effective media support
Deep Insights

Ines Drefs, Rose Kimani, Dennis Reineck, Vera Freitag, Nick Benequista

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2023), 81 pp.

"OECD Principle 1: Do no harm to public interest media– The media development sector is well-equipped when it comes to risk management: more than half of the surveyed organizations have effective risk mitigation strategies and over 40 percent have well-suited risk monitoring tools.– However, ro ... om remains for improvement: a lack of awareness amongst international organizations of cer tain local risks is one specific issue. Another is the risk of donors jeopardizing the editorial independence of media outlets by pursuing an unduly political agenda. Media assistance must be cautious when it comes to navigating geopolitical interests.– Interviewees also highlighted the risk of foreign funding being used to label recipient organizations as foreign agents. Another issue is brain drain to the detriment of media outlets if higher salaries are paid elsewhere, not least in the international development sphere.– When it comes to discrimination, the results suggest that media development organizations have a strong focus on gender-sensitivity and diversity in projects and beyond. However, only 23 percent of organizations have project guidelines for disability mainstreaming. OECD Principle 2: Increase financial and other forms of support– This study underlines how worried media development organizations are about the persistently small share of overall official develop ment assistance (ODA) invested in strengthening media systems and independent media. This is considered especially concerning in light of current democratic challenges and shrinking spaces for independent reporting worldwide.– In wider development co-operation, media are still often seen as tools for strategic communication rather than as a key pillar for democratic development. Such views tend to hinder the media development sector’s integration in other development fields. There is a need for awareness-raising and greater exchange with other development actors.– 23 percent of international media development organizations’ funding is allocated to core funding of public interest media. Acknowledgement of media as a public good and the associated need for core funding is considered key for effective support. OECD Principle 3: Take a whole system perspective– This principle demands a holistic and systemic approach to supporting public interest media. This study finds that the media development sector is quite well-positioned when it comes to underlying analyses of media and information environments.– However, there is a mismatch between the assessments conducted and donor decision-making. Interviewees also criticized funding cycles of one year or less as unsustainable. The average funding cycle of the media development organizations surveyed was 22 months.– A broad range of themes are supported by media development organizations across both traditional and newer media actors. There is nevertheless a need to consider further integration of newer actors into media development support. OECD Principle 4: Strengthen local leadership and ownership– This study finds that, according to international media development organizations’ budget estimates, an average of 40 percent of their funding reaches local and regional actors directly.– 75 percent of local and regional organizations agree that they are meaningfully involved in project implementation. However, only half feel that they are sufficiently involved in priority setting, hinting at room for improvement in this regard. – International organizations in most cases still take the lead role in applications for ODA funding. In some regions, however, local and regional partners have built up sufficient expertise and experience to be lead applicants for ODA funding, and this is working well.– The phenomenon of “parachuting in” external experts into partner countries rather than making use of local expertise is much less prevalent than it used to be but still exists. The results show that organizations focus on skills brought to the table rather than on the origin of the expert. OECD Principle 5: Improve coordination of support– Over 55 percent of respondents from all types of media development organizations agree that they are meaningfully involved in sector coordination. However, representatives from international media development organizations tend to see the degree of co-ordination in a more positive light than respondents from organizations based outside the Global North.– Only 30 percent of local and regional organizations agree that there is swift coordination of support by international media development actors during times of crisis. This is linked to a seeming failure to learn from previous crises. Instead, local and regional organizations in various parts of the world are taking the lead in crisis response in their regions and actively collaborating to ramp up crisis preparedness.– On a day-to-day basis, there is less collaboration than desired among donors, which can skew the market because particular segments are over- or underfunded. Media development organizations are doing a better job of coordinating with each other, even though this is sometimes hindered by competition or by the fact that some key decisions are made at donor level.– As regards administrative requirements, 33 percent of all surveyed media development organizations think that donors or organizations they partner with offer efficient pro cesses for managing funds. There is an urgent need to harmonize reporting requirements as well as to offer more flexibility in requirements depending on context. OECD Principle 6: Invest in knowledge, research and learning– This study finds that almost 60 percent of organizations have access to sector best practices and lessons learned, and precisely 50 percent have internal mechanisms to share their own lessons learned with others.– However, there is also wide consensus in the sector that producing and sharing evidence is not a donor priority, with slightly more than 30 percent of organizations indicating that they have sufficient funding for these types of activities.– There is considerable demand for annual reports from organiza tions such as Reporters Without Borders or Freedom House, but also for more actionable research on approaches that work. A mix between face-to-face conferences, newsletters and more in-depth webinar-type dives into specific topics emerged as the optimal way of keeping the sector informed." (Key findings, pages 8-9) more

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Pushing for Change: Laying the Groundwork for Tomorrow’s Journalism Today

Erik Albrecht

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2023), 10 pp.

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¡Cambia la historia! Cómo contar la violencia de género desde la mirada constructiva
Deep Insights

Laura Aguirre, Mariela Castañon, Paula Felgueras, Chani Guyot, Catalina Oquendo

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie; alharaca (2023), 40 pp.

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Mapping Out Curriculum Development: Your Guide to Developing Trainings and Courses

Erik Albrecht, Susanne Glaeser, Judith Liesenfeld

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2023), 19 pp.

"DW Akademie’s “Mapping out curriculum development” guide sets out an agile process that leads you step-by-step through designing an innovative and interactive training program. It can be used to develop trainings for journalists and media managers, as well as to develop media and information ... more

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Methodkit for Podcasts: Knowledge Guide

Paul McNally et al.

Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2023), 77 pp.

"If you are a journalist with a story to tell or a hobbyist with a burning passion for your subject we have broken up the act of producing a podcast into 61 steps that are meant to instruct but also inspire. We have collected expert advice from podcasters from all around the world and distilled it i ... more

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Strategischer Plan 2022-2025: Freie Medien. Freie Meinung. Freie Menschen

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2023), 15 pp.

"Die DW Akademie will ihre Präsenz in Partnerländern mithilfe ihres vielfältigen Netzwerks aus Partnerorganisationen in nahezu allen Teilen der Welt weiter ausbauen. Gemeinsam fördern wir menschliche Entwicklung durch die Stärkung von Meinungsfreiheit, Qualitätsjournalismus, gleichberechtigter ... more

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Mapping of Actors: Identification of Potential Cooperation Partners for Media Outlets in the Western Balkans

Amra Kapo

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ); Internews; Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2023), 59 pp.

"In this study we identify and elaborate at least six components of the digital media ecosystem: (1) content creators and distributors; (2) consumers/users; (3) monetization channels; (4) advertising networks, (5) data analytics and insights and (6) social media, streaming and e-commerce platforms. ... Qualitative findings have revealed four major traits of the digital media ecosystem in Western Balkans: (1) market underdevelopment (the market significantly lags behind the developed countries); (2) financial constraints (media outlets are not resourceful enough and lack funding to use advanced services digital media ecosystem offers); (3) media dynamics and technological uptake (traditional media outlets recognize the opportunity in digital media and mostly possess digital channels as secondary screens to their main formats, with larger media also utilizing the opportunities of YouTube and podcast format); (4) driven by donors or media outside of WB (independent media outlets are mainly driven by donors and external investments. Furthermore, the main reasons for slower progress in the media landscape and with media outlets in Western Balkans are identified in the study, namely: (1) economic challenges, (2) lack of infrastructure, (3) regulatory environment, (3) media ownership and control, (4) lack of training and skills and (5) monetization challenges. Each of these reasons are elaborated, with the support of arguments from the primary study. Comprehensive maps of media outlets and IT companies in the Western Balkans are created, with detailed lists of both categories provided. Here, it can be concluded that there are plenty of actors in both sectors as well as the sector is growing. The study further groups media outlets into three main categories, taking the level of digital transformation and technology adoption: (1) advanced media outlets, (2) media outlets undergoing transformation, and (3) traditional media outlets. In terms of IT companies, and general in the IT sector, which is very prolific in the region, the study selected ones that demonstrate innovativeness and an advanced assortment of services and products, positioning them as potential collaborators for media outlets seeking to improve their digital presence, engagement strategies, and content delivery mechanisms." (Executive summary, pages 1-2) more

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Mapping Out Regional Consultations: A Practical Orientation to Organizing Consultations

Judith Liesenfeld, Miriam Küller

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2023), 17 pp.

"Carrying out regional consultations with multiple stakeholders can help establish a shared understanding of major challenges and build consensus about promising paths forward. They are particularly useful in complex environments with many different actors. This guide provides some practical guidanc ... more

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Examining Media Coverage of Online Violence Against Women in East Africa

Pauline Awuor Okoth, Emmanuel Keith Kisaame, Sandra Komuhiimbo

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2023), 62 pp.

The study revealed the following: 1. OVAW coverage follows clear and rigid patterns: All 137 media reports covered only seven aspects: occurrence of the Online Violence against Women (OVAW) incident; public reaction to the incident; OVAW survivors’ responses; pursuit of justice; consequences of t ... he OVAW incident; attribution of blame for the incident; and other issues (e. g., responses to OVAW incidents by survivors’ families and mentions of OVAW incidents in broader human rights articles). These findings show that traditional media coverage of OVAW is typically quite predictable in its course, unchanging, and basic. The media is typically feeding their audiences the same type of information regardless of the survivors and type of OVAW. On the other hand, what all reports are usually missing is a discussion of why and how OVAW is committed, what laws prohibit OVAW, and what measures exist to combat this kind of violence. 2. The threshold is high for OVAW to be covered: Editors have created a more stringent criteria for covering OVAW, compared to other topics such as crime, sports or politics. Apart from audience preference, other factors that determined whether OVAW incidents received traditional media spotlight included, among others,– magnitude and gravity of the incident;– opinions of (male-dominated) newsroom teams on the value of OVAW stories; – compliance with editorial policies, most of which censure incidents involving nudity;– and whether the incident attained an offline dimension (e. g., if it was reported to police). All in all, OVAW stories need to tick many more boxes to be included in traditional media coverage than politics and crime stories, for example, and are therefore less likely to be published, despite their frequency. 3. Single-sourcing is common: The analysis covered– the diversity of sources used in media reports (that is, the number of sources per media report);– relevance of sources;– gender diversity in sources; – the involvement of OVAW survivors, and– the involvement of OVAW perpetrators in media investigation and coverage. Across the region, 62 percent of media reports on OVAW only cited a single source. Single-sourcing was most often found in radio reporting of OVAW at 90 percent, followed by news websites at 68 percent, with television and newspapers coming in at 50 percent each. Across the region, most sources quoted in OVAW reports (95 percent) were relevant to the topic covered. However, even though sources were mostly relevant, the widespread practice of using a single source ultimately limited the scope of relevant information published or broadcast on OVAW. At a regional level, there was a fair balance of male and female sources. Reasons for the exclusion of OVAW survivors and alleged perpetrators as sources by the media included the refusal to take interviews, cases being on trial, and the convenient option to replace personal interviews with the use of social media posts. A few survivors and alleged perpetrators dominated media coverage. Where survivors dominated coverage, they achieved significant public awareness, diffused incidents, and demanded accountability from alleged perpetrators. 4. OVAW is trivialized: Several factors indicated that OVAW incidents are seen as trivial by the media, including the low-priority placement of stories on media platforms, inadequate verification of evidence, and miscommunication of the gravity of OVAW. For instance, 82 percent of OVAW stories were not front-page stories in newspapers. In all four countries, 48 percent of web articles on OVAW were placed in the lifestyle and entertainment sections. However, OVAW is not a subject of entertainment regardless of whether the women affected work in the entertainment industry. Most radio content on OVAW (81 percent) was classified as gossip or entertainment indicating OVAW as a non-newsworthy item. Most traditional media houses also relegated OVAW reports to their digital platforms. Media reports also framed OVAW incidents as “love scandals,” diminishing their gravity. Some media practitioners said OVAW was not a serious topic for news coverage." (Key findings, pages 7-8) more

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Memorias de un vinilo: Sistematización del componente educativo de Vokaribe

Sandra Liliana Osses Rivera, Laura Camila Espinosa et al.

Barranquilla: Asociación de Radiodifusión Comunitaria Vokaribe; Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2023), 57 pp.

"Memorias de un vinilo explora los surcos, las materialidades, los sonidos, las huellas, las voces, las melodías, las letras que se producen en torno al componente educativo de una experiencia comunicativa, comunitaria, organizativa denominada Vokaribe en la ciudad de Barranquilla (Colombia). Aunqu ... more

The state of media development: Global evidence on relevant and effective media support Deep Insights

¡Cambia la historia! Cómo contar la violencia de género desde la mirada constructiva Deep Insights

The state of media development: Global evidence on relevant and effective media support
Deep Insights

¡Cambia la historia! Cómo contar la violencia de género desde la mirada constructiva
Deep Insights