"Recent elections show that despite the apparent diversity of newspapers and broadcasters, political and economic constraints, as well as restricted access to information prevent the development of independent media in Sub-Saharan Africa that can play a part in enlightening citizens", says the autho
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r of this policy brief, and concludes: "Donors must pay more attention to local needs and search for ways to strengthen a pluralist media landscape independent of political parties, governments and the international community. Only such a pluralist landscape will enable the media to contribute to realistic opportunities for democratic power alternations rather than allowing an unbalanced electoral game devoted to maintaining the tenure of the same dominant party." (Page 4)
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"A Comunicação Política é uma área vasta em expansão quer sob o ponto de vista da reflexão teórica praticada nas Academias quer sob o ponto de vista da sua prática em numerosos domínios da vida cívica. Vislumbra-se um claro aprofundamento dos estudos nesta área visível na imprensa unive
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rsitária e especializada, na formação de Grupos de Trabalho nas Sociedades Científicas nacionais e internacionais. O livro surge neste contexto deveras interessante em que a Comunicação Política ganha uma centralidade nos estudos seja de comunicação seja de política, carecendo quer de modelos descritivos quer de reflexões normativas que apreendam a complexidade das modernas sociedades pluralistas." (Sinopse pág. web)
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"This book highlights the importance of the news media as watchdogs, agenda setters and gatekeepers for the quality of democratic deliberation in the public sphere. At the same time, it theorizes that the capacity of journalists and media systems to fulfill these roles depends on the broader context
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determined by the profession, the market and the state. Media systems' performance often falls far short of the ideals, as succesive case studies from different world regions demonstrate. Finally, the book asks what policy interventions work effectively to close the gap between the democratic promise and perfomance of the news media as an institution. The final chapter, "Policy recommendations", concludes (page 406): "Interventions include reforms directed at strengthening the journalistic profession, notably institutional capacity building, through bodies such as press councils, press freedom advocacy NGOs, and organizations concerned with journalistic training and accreditation. Other important reforms seek to overcome market failures, including developing a regulatory framework for media systems to ensure pluralism of ownership and diversity of contents. Finally, policies also address the role of the state, including deregulation to shift state-run broadcasting to public service broadcasting, overseen by independent broadcasting regulatory bodies, and the protection of constitutional principles of freedom of the press, speech, and expression." (commbox)
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According to this document "media support interventions tend to be conceived and implemented late in the electoral cycle". Support to media around elections could be developed through: mechanisms to map the implications of rapid media and communication changes for electoral outcomes; mechanisms for
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lesson learning on which media support strategies have proved most effective (or ineffective); coordination of media support around elections.
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"Esta guía realizada en conjunto por Periodismo Social, Poder Ciudadano, Asociación por los Derechos Civiles, se propone como una herramienta indispensable para los profesionales que deben enfrentarse diariamente con políticos y funcionarios públicos en los distintos momentos de la vida democrá
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tica: campaña – gestión- rendición de cuentas. Se trata de una herramienta de consulta gratuita en la que se acercan instrumentos claves como fuentes y pautas para el mejoramiento de la cobertura de temas vitales y cotidianos pero poco o superficialmente tratados. En muchas ocasiones los periodistas suelen ser manipulados por parte de los gobernantes y terminan siendo funcionales a las necesidades y objetivos de promoción de los mismos en lugar de cumplir con su papel de informar con precisión a la opinión pública. Por lo tanto, este cuadernillo tiene como objetivo de máxima fortalecer la institucionalidad democrática al intentar transparentar los actos de gobierno por medio de las armas del periodismo tradicional: investigación, seriedad y cumplir con el mandato del derecho a la información pública." (Introducción, página 7)
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"The problem of post-election violence seems to be ever-more present as complexities of nation-building and democratic development arise. This report deals with some relevant questions. It is based on the outcome of discussions at a December 2008 workshop organized in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia [...] Our
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objective was to examine the role of the media in the aftermath of competitive elections. The workshop provided the opportunity to explore the election experiences of Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Somaliland, Tanzania and Sudan in a comparative framework. The focus was on understanding why election violence occurred after some elections, what the role of the media was in either exacerbating or resolving disputes, and what this suggests about the broader political project and the state of the media in the countries under examination." (Executive summary)
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"This report explores issues of media policy during post-election violence. We examine the case of Kenya, where 1,133 people were killed after the 2007 elections, to distill lessons for Somaliland’s upcoming elections. There are indications the elections in Somaliland will be highly contentious an
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d that the media will have an important role in either exacerbating or alleviating political violence. Indeed this has already been the case. The much-anticipated presidential election has been postponed for over a year and escalating tensions between the government, opposition parties and the population suggest real potential for election-related violence." (Introduction)
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"This highly accessible text compares media institutions and political experiences in countries around the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia, to enable students to think critically about the central questions in the study of media and politics. The book balances cont
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emporary case studies with explanations of key theories and concepts, and includes a section on political communication research methods, empowering students to fully understand - and conduct their own comparative research into - the impact of media on the political sphere." (Publisher description)
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"The media have shaped and will continue to play a central role in shaping Kenya’s democracy. The recent record of the media, according to many within it, is that media has undermined as well as invigorated that democracy. An understanding of democracy and democratic governance in Kenya is not pos
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sible without a strong understanding of the media’s role in the country. We would urge development actors to be better engaged and more supportive of media in the future. The problem facing Kenya’s media is not an excess of media freedom. It is a lack of it. Media freedom cannot, however, be described simply in terms of ndependence from government. Journalists and broadcasters face immense commercial and political constraints which are constraining their journalistic independence and integrity. Some local language radio stations have incited fear and hatred particularly at the height of the violence. Local language radio stations are routinely partisan and fl out codes of ethics. Talk shows have provided the greatest opportunities for hate speech and talk show hosts are not trained in confl ict reporting or moderation. Nearly all we spoke to on the subject felt this was a priority. More recently, most local language stations (and much of the rest of the media) appear to have been playing an important role in calming tension and promoting dialogue. A strengthening of such a role by a genuinely independent media will form a critical contribution as Kenya navigates the turbulent waters ahead of it." (Summary of policy conclusions)
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