"This report focuses on the role of factual debate and discussion programming, defined for the purposes of this review as “dialogic formats”, on political participation, knowledge and efficacy [...] The review of the existing evidence base is followed by an in-depth look at the relationship betw
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een exposure to one of BBC Media Action’s own debate programme formats and political participation. Factual debate and discussion programme formats have been implemented in a number of countries in which BBC Media Action has worked in recent years. This paper presents data from Nepal, where the political debate programme Sajha Sawal (Common Questions) has been broadcast nationally on radio and television for more than five years. The analysis provides evidence that exposure to a debate programme on the radio – which fulfils a mediated deliberation function – is positively associated with both latent and manifest forms of political participation. While it is not inferred that there is a causal relationship between the media output and political outcomes, the evidence presented goes some way to adding to the body of evidence of the impact dialogic programme formats have on interpersonal political discussion and more manifest types of participation in a developing country context, even when controlling for demographic factors and other personal characteristics." (Executive summary)
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"Uruguay tiene un sistema de medios de comunicación que está concentrado en unas pocas empresas y personas. Un oligopolio formado por tres grupos económicos controla el mercado de la TV abierta y de abonados, dominando la audiencia, la facturación de la publicidad e instalando una única agenda
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informativa en todo el país desde Montevideo. A menor escala, pero con fuerte poder de incidencia local, la concentración también se reproduce en los departamentos con empresarios y grupos familiares que concentran multimedios a través de autorizaciones para operar señales de TV abierta, brindar servicios de TV para abonados y contar con una o más radios. Garantizar que haya un sistema de medios plural y diverso, para que exista un pleno ejercicio de la libertad de expresión y de información es una recomendación central de todos los organismos internacionales de protección y promoción de la libertad de expresión. Sin democratizar los medios no se puede democratizar la sociedad, y es ésta una tarea aún pendiente en nuestro país. Y no hay mejor forma de comenzar a democratizar que mediante una reforma legal aprobada por un Parlamento elegido democráticamente. Con ese objetivo el Frente Amplio para el periodo 2010-2015 planteó claramente su compromiso con la «Democratización de los medios de comunicación y de la información fortaleciendo los medios de comunicación públicos, generando en el sector privado una efectiva libre competencia y participación de la sociedad civil en la definición de las políticas públicas de comunicación.» Para colaborar con el debate público y parlamentario se ha preparado esta breve guía con los temas claves de la iniciativa legal y sus fundamentos." (Presentación)
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"This paper argues that like other sectors, the media development sector needs to bring greater empirical rigor to its operations in order to bring about gender integration. It attempts to orient media development practitioners with both a historical and contemporary view of key policies, research a
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nd approaches to gender integration, as produced by media development scholars, practitioners and the donor community [...] Despite the number of published materials, the authors found that few focus on gender integration in media development. Moreover, many still misunderstand what gender integration means—both broadly as well as specifically with regard to media assistance. While the authors found a rich trove of academic literature and an established network of scholars and gender specialists, we found the need for greater opportunities to improve research on gender and media development as well as additional networking to connect gender experts with media development programs. Throughout the course of research for this paper, the most common suggestion recommended a better understanding of how media development can help advance gender goals." (Executive summary)
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"This report is intended to be a practical, useful guide for stakeholders in national and local governments, the media, civil society, and business to making freedom of information laws work. The authors’ particular emphasis is on the role public officials and journalists must play in effectively
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breathing life into these laws, giving meaning to their democratic intent and legal guarantees [...] This paper begins with a review of the theory and practice of FOI laws, which are universally recognized as critical components of a modern system of free expression. It follows with discussion of the obstacles to effective implementation, including in an appendix several interviews with stakeholders in six countries in which FOI laws have been introduced recently: Albania, Armenia, Indonesia, Jamaica, South Africa, and Ukraine. The paper then makes several recommendations." (Executive summary)
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"The Report builds upon two main directives: on the one hand, it tries to bring together the best practices at the international and comparative level, in an attempt to offer guidance on which policy and regulatory toolkits have already proved successful in achieving longterm goals of economic effic
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iency, sustainability and democratic governance of the media sphere and could therefore be considered by Somali lawmakers as positive and reliable examples. On the other hand, the Report has been drafted with a constant attention to the specificities of the Somali society, tradition and constitutional framework, in order to tailor the recommendations as closely as possible to the specific context of Somalia. For the same purpose, along with the best European and international standards, specific cases from postconflict countries that faced similar challenges have been selected and analysed. The recommendations provided in this Report are meant to accompany the process of law making in Somalia and the public consultation between the government and the local media stakeholders that will develop during the coming months and they aim to help achieve large popular consensus on the adoption of the new Communications Law. The recommendations therefore offer a broad overview on current best practices and are to be read as a useable, adaptable toolkit on general principles rather than as a detailed list of regulatory prescriptions." (Executive summary, page 2)
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"This document provides the United Nations Implementation Strategy 2013-2014 of the UN Plan of Action on The Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity (hereafter referred to as the UN Plan). In addition to the Strategy, there is a detailed Work-Plan to put the Strategy into place." (Introducti
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on, page 2)
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"This comprehensive MIL (Media and Information Literacy) Policy and Strategy Guidelines resource is the first of its kind to treat MIL as a composite concept, unifying information literacy and media literacy as well as considering the right to freedom of expression and access to information through
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ICTs [...] The MIL Policy and Strategy Guidelines resource is divided into two parts. Part 1 is the MIL Policy Brief, and is designed for policy or decision makers and can serve as a summary of the publication. Part 2 is divided into several comprehensive chapters and suggests: 1) how to enlist MIL a development tool; 2) conceptual frameworks for MIL policies and strategies; and 3) model MIL policy and strategies that can be adapted by countries globally." (Foreword)
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"Access to information, freedom of expression and an independent media are important for a sustainable future. They should be explicitly included in a future framework describing UN development goals for the years beyond 2015. We discuss two options: firstly, integration of “information access and
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freedom of expression” as one of the new Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). And secondly, “good governance” as a new goal in which transparency, accountability and free media are considered." (Abstract)
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"With its rapidly expanding penetration within the developing world, mobile telephony offers major new opportunities to build upon and augment existing health communication efforts. As Usha Kiran Tarigopula of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation India Programmes put it: “It is increasingly… clea
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r that mobiles are an important platform and can be a game changer.” This does not mean that mobile phones are a panacea. There isn’t – nor should there be – a one-size-fits-all approach to health communication. Indeed, a growing body of research indicates the value of a more integrated strategy, one that employs mobile platforms alongside interpersonal communication, community-based activities and mass media. But when mHealth is embedded in a programme design that is equitable, highly-targeted and at scale, it has the potential to enable cost-effective solutions for reaching marginalised populations, many of whom lack access to essential health information and services. This policy briefing has demonstrated how this is possible by examining one particular set of mHealth services in the Indian state of Bihar." (Conclusion, page 19)
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"This policy brief builds upon the findings of a research report that looked specifically on the ways in which three media institutions - Independent Media Commission (IMC); Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK) and the Press Council of Kosovo (PCK) – established in the aftermath of conflict with consi
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derable foreign media assistance - have evolved. The independence and long-term sustainability of the RTK and IMC are important conditions that Kosovo government must ensure as it moves closer towards the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU. The PCK also remains an important institution for the Kosovo press affairs. As such, these institutions are a cornerstone for a sound media system in Kosovo." (Pages 5-6)
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"Este trabajo analiza el estado de situación de la cooperación española, en el contexto de la evolución de la agenda internacional de desarrollo, para preguntarse por su impacto e implicaciones futuras en el ámbito de la cultura. Se trata de detectar los desafíos que tiene la cooperación cult
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ural para concretarse en un entorno digital, además de y más allá de la crisis. Dado que se aspira a superar la mirada simplemente nacional, se incluyen las visiones y opiniones de un grupo de expertos y dirigentes oficiales iberoamericanos. Un balance crítico permite afirmar que la cooperación oficial en general, y en materia de cultura en particular, no parecen ser prioridad para el Gobierno. De hecho, se las está sometiendo a una reorientación política y económica, basada en una drástica reducción presupuestaria y una estrategia desdibujada, que ignora el camino transitado. Se concluye que la cooperación cultural debe repensarse para reubicarse en un escenario mayoritariamente digital pero orientándose, al mismo tiempo, hacia el objetivo de la promoción y protección de la diversidad cultural." (Página 4)
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"In this document the Office of the Special Rapporteur endeavors to make available to all States in the region, general principles for the protection of the right to freedom of thought and expression online. These principles are intended to provide guidance to governments, legislative and regulatory
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bodies, the courts and civil society in order to clear the way for this conceptually and technically new territory, and stimulate the revision and adoption of legislation and practices in view to achieving the full realization of the right to freedom of thought and expression through the Internet." (Page 2)
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"This report is an evaluation of the methods and tools used by the Red Cross and Red Crescent to communicate with communities following the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. The study draws recommendations for the continued and more effective use of communications to engage with communities in H
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aiti and elsewhere in the future." (Back cover)
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