"National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate KCRW received a three-year grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation in 2015 to spark public discourse about issues affecting disadvantaged and vulnerable populations in Los Angeles. It included initiatives to sponsor live events and to improve reporting acros
...
s KCRW’s digital platforms. Its goals were to: 1. build capacity within KCRW’s newsroom to find and tell underreported stories; 2. increase coverage of social issues impacting vulnerable populations; 3. and find new ways to amplify coverage through multimedia reporting. The USC Norman Lear Center’s Media Impact Project (MIP) was invited to evaluate the project. Outcomes were very positive and transformed many aspects of the way KCRW conducted operations. Additionally, the funder garnered media attention on its issues through KCRW’s in-depth investigative reporting and cross-platform promotions. Content coding analysis revealed increased sophistication in KCRW’s investigative capacity by the end of the grant period. Journalists, staff professionals and administrators reported a renewed sense of pride in their work and increased skill sets at airing complex stories on the radio, on social media and at live forums. Employees exceeded what they thought they could accomplish, taking on additional responsibilities and fresh perspectives and discovering new ways to engage with a wider demographic of audiences." (Project summary, page 4)
more
"Part of a €17 million EU-funded programme entitled “Media and Culture for Development in the Southern Mediterranean”, MedMedia was implemented in the Southern Mediterranean from January 2014 until May 2018. The MedMedia programme has given media policy makers, regulators, public service broad
...
casters, journalists’ unions, media schools and human rights campaigners in the Southern Mediterranean a unique opportunity to act as catalysts for media sector reform in their region. MedMedia supported local stakeholders’ efforts to push forward media reform processes, sparked by the Arab Spring with a view to creating a regulatory environment supportive of media freedom and public trust in mainstream media outlets. It has offered access to expertise and know-how from both sides of the Mediterranean and has facilitated a mutual learning process between media institutions from the Southern Mediterranean. MedMedia’s activities were divided into three complementary components: capacity development for media professionals and institutions based on a bottom-up approach; networking activities involving decision makers and media practitioners; an overview of the media sector for decision-makers and practitioners across the region." (Page 4)
more
"The main partners of the project have been Somali National Television (SNTV), Somali Ministry of Information and Public Awareness, and the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ). After expanding the geographical coverage of the project in 2015, partnerships were also established with Somalila
...
nd Journalists Association (SOLJA) and Media Association of Puntland (MAP). Several women journalist associations have likewise participated in the project implementation. This evaluation covers the first phase of the project (2014–2016), including observations from cost-extended first phase trainings arranged in May 2017. The aim of the evaluation is to provide sufficient information about the performance of the project, to identify possible obstacles hindering the expected outcomes, and to provide recommendations for future. Based on the key findings, the project has been relevant, highly effective and efficient. The project has responded to a well-articulated need: the professional capacity of Somali journalists is still relatively low, as is their general understanding of media ethics. The project is relevant and aligns well with national priorities. The project activities have been carried out through collaboration of Finnish specialists and Somali stakeholders in such a way that the project ownership remains in Somalia. The project has been highly effective. As a result of the project, the first multi-camera TV studio in Somalia was constructed with modern news production and editing system. The studio enabled first ever live broadcasting of news in Somalia. The quality of SNTV news production has also visibly improved. Video and sound quality is more professional, news inserts are shorter, more compact and cover a wider range of topics. More investigative programmes and children and youth programmes have also emerged. Close to 400 journalists from across Somalia and Somaliland have taken part in training courses on basic journalism skills and journalism ethics, by far exceeding the project’s initial goal. Furthermore, around 120 representatives from the police, judiciary and key ministries have received training on freedom of expression and respect for media rights. The approach has been ground-breaking by bringing together journalists and security officials and improving their respect for one another. General findings on the cost-effectiveness and efficiency showcase that Vikes has been spending much less than other international media support organizations to provide quality trainings with noticeable results. Yet, as anticipated, the challenging operational environment has also hampered the project implementation. Some activities have been postponed either due to the volatile security situation or logistic delays. Lack of spare parts and technical equipment in Somalia has also hindered the maintenance of the news production studio and affected some of the in-house trainings." (Executive summary, page 3-4)
more
"Développé dans le cadre d’un programme de 17 M d’euros financé par l’Union européenne intitulé « Médias et Culture pour le développement du sud de la Méditerranée », MedMedia a été mis en oeuvre de janvier 2014 à mai 2018. Ce programme a offert aux décideurs politiques, aux org
...
anes de régulation des médias, aux radiotélédiffuseurs de service public, aux syndicats de journaliste, aux écoles de journalisme et aux militants des droits humains de cette région une occasion unique de jouer un rôle de catalyseur pour la réforme du secteur des médias. MedMedia a soutenu les efforts déployés par les parties prenantes de la région pour faire avancer les processus de réforme engagés dans le sillage du « Printemps arabe » afin de favoriser la création d’environnements réglementaires propices à la liberté des médias et de renforcer la confiance du public dans les médias traditionnels. MedMedia a permis un échange d’expertise et de savoir-faire entre les deux rives de la Méditerranée et facilité un processus d’apprentissage mutuel entre les institutions médiatiques du sud de la Méditerranée. Les activités du projet étaient réparties dans trois composantes spécifiques et complémentaires : le développement des capacités pour les professionnels des médias et des institutions du secteur basées sur une approche ascendante et participative; dDes activités de mise en réseau regroupant des décideurs et des professionnels des médias; un aperçu du secteur des médias mis à la disposition des décideurs et des professionnels de la région." (Page 4)
more
"This books draws a comparative balance of twenty years' international media assistance in the five countries of the Western Balkans. The central question was what happens to imported models when they are transposed onto the newly evolving media systems of transitional societies. Albania, Bosnia-Her
...
zegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia and Serbia undertook a range of media reforms to conform with accession requirements of the European Union and the standards of the Council of Europe, among others. The essays explore the nexus between the democratic transformation of the media and international media assistance. The cross-national analysis concludes that the effects of international assistance are highly constrained by the local context. From today's vantage point it becomes obvious, that scaling media assistance does not necessarily improve outcomes. The experiences in the region suggest that imported solutions have not been very cognitive in all aspects of local conditions but international strategies tend to be rather schematic and lacked strategic approaches to promote media policy stability, credible media reform and implementation. The book offers valuable insights into the nature and effects of media assistance and the strategies deployed by international aid agencies, local political forces, media professionals, civil society organizations and other actors." (Publisher description)
more
"Media markets are fragmented, audience consumption is siloed, the massive spread of media, entertainment, and news offerings has made it extremely important to set up public service media institutions that will be held to account and be responsible for living up to their public service obligations.
...
PSB may not be the only answer to the challenge of establishing sustainable, independent media, but certainly, it should be examined in some contexts as part of the answer. But to have a future, PSB will require adaptation, innovation, the bringing together of so-called legacy media with new media and ICTs, and—as many PSB experts have indicated—the need to re-imagine PSB in a digital age." (Conclusion)
more
"Argues that renewed energy and resources should be invested in strategies that support media systems rooted in public service values of trust, independence, universality and putting the public interest before all others. Despite formidable challenges, support strategies should include a revitalised
...
and more imaginative focus on supporting the reform of state broadcasters to help them become editorially and financially independent public service broadcasters." (Executive summary)
more
"This briefing suggests that national broadcasters may have the potential to help to bridge social divides, if they can be reformed to serve the interests of the public rather than the state. In addition to their extensive infrastructure and reach, these institutions also have a cultural standing th
...
at enables them to serve diverse audiences with programmes tailored to their needs and interests. But in order to realise that mission, these organisations will need to reorient their programming so that it responds less to government policies and more to the needs of citizens. Specifically, the briefing suggests that state broadcasters can do this by instilling the twin public service values of universality and diversity into their programming, underpinned by a clear commitment to editorial independence. Formats that enable inclusive dialogue, rational debate and clear and trusted information can, at least in theory, mitigate conflict by facilitating tolerance, mutual understanding and representation." (Executive summary)
more
"This article investigates the extent to which Serbian media institutions that have been initiated and supported through media assistance programmes have actually reached a level of sustainability and functionality. Analysing the establishment and transformation of public service broadcasters in Ser
...
bia, the author discusses the main achievements, failures and challenges of media assistance programmes that aim to contribute to Serbia's democratization. As media institutions in transition countries are often designed after similar institutions in Western European democracies, the outcomes regularly differ from the initial model. This article sheds light on the question of what happens to imported models when they are transposed onto the newly evolving media systems of transitional societies using the case of Radio-Television of Serbia." (Abstract)
more
"The transformation of state media to public service media (PSM) is one of the most ambitious endeavors in the field of media development. Not many efforts to free the national media from government control have succeeded in the past decades. In this paper the comparatively promising cases of Kyrgyz
...
stan, Mongolia, Moldova and Serbia are discussed. The PSM in these countries all have a new legal basis, including a public service remit and a relatively independent governing body in which civil society is represented. The services delivered to the public by these media are analyzed according to a number of societal functions which are assembled under two general headings: “creating a public sphere” and “supporting integration”. Based on this analysis, a differentiation between “PSM in initial transformation” and “PSM in advanced transformation” is suggested. In all cases studied, different actors successfully used windows of opportunity: general political agendas to reform the media, a specific engagement from the management as well as support from the population and civil society. Media development actors here helped to advance the processes of change in different ways. Recommendations for future media development include strategic planning, inclusion of local actors, the pooling of legal expertise as well as structured processes of organizational development and capacity building." (Abstract)
more
"The Georgian public service broadcaster has been unable to develop into an autonomous and independent media organisation in spite of all the legal and institutional safeguards. It has been a victim of intense political manipulation and interference throughout its existence, and most domestic and ex
...
ternal interventions to improve its position concentrated on changes in legislation and on administrative measures, which the political class has always been able to bypass or bend to its needs." (Conclusion)
more
"This study constitutes the attempt to draw some initial conclusions from the work conducted by DW Akademie and other media development organizations in the past. It aims at a better understanding of which public service functions former state broadcasters can provide at all and which approaches of
...
media development actors have proved to be successful.
Reforming of state mouthpieces into public service media can indeed be achieved. This is one of the most important findings of this study. DW Akademie researchers here present examples of media outlets that fulfill their public service remit of creating a public sphere and supporting integration to a substantial degree. Even among the success stories, not all the media outlets studied here have adopted a public service ethos to its full extent. Their work, however, improved considerably. In assisting reform, media development actors were thus able to enhance the public’s freedom of expression as well as its access to information – two basic human rights we see as important prerequisites for peace and democracy. On the other hand, this study shows how difficult and complex transformation is. State media are often highly politicized. Successful transformation, therefore, requires support of a lot of different actors: the political elite, civil society, the management of the broadcaster, its staff, and last but certainly not least, the public as a whole. It is vital that media development actors identify windows of opportunity and profit from them in order to propel change forward.
At the same time, this study demonstrates that media development organizations have to think beyond their traditional fields of expertise: capacity development and newsroom consultancy. A much broader approach is needed if substantial and sustainable development is to be achieved. DW Akademie is currently implementing a new, more complex strategy for successful media development cooperation that takes this into account. Political and legal frameworks have become a strategic area of activity. Other equally important areas comprise qualifications, professionalism, and economic sustainability of the media sector, participation in society, and digital change. With regard to public broadcasting, political and legal frameworks are especially important in order to ensure editorial independence of former state broadcasters. Furthermore, media development actors have to engage more in organizational development. Therefore, at the end of this study, we dedicate a whole chapter to this question.
This study of selected media outlets from twelve countries does not attempt to provide a final answer to the question of successful public service transformation. It aims at giving an overview of what has been achieved in practical work in this field in the course of the past years. More research is needed to understand which steps of reform are needed for a genuine transformation that is sustainable in the long term. The media are undergoing crucial developments. Digital change, convergence, and social media have increased pluralism of opinion substantially in many parts of the world. At the same time, the media face new challenges with respect to their economic sustainability. The notion of public service media that offer a model for providing journalistic quality without financial dependence deserves further thought." (Preface)
more
"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
...
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)
more
"The present study is a review of the mission of public service broadcasting in eight countries of the Middle East and North Africa. It examines the books of specifications and the legal frameworks that regulate public broadcasting as well as it looks into the means made available to implement it. F
...
urthermore it analyses segments of the programmes to assess the extent to which national television channels actually deliver a mission of public service. The present book represents the synthesis of research work conducted by NGOs and associate experts to the Institut PANOS Paris and to the Observatoire méditerranéen de la communication in all of Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Tunisia. The outcome of this research varies greatly from country to country, whereas in some cases the failure to deliver a mission of public service is obvious, there are also examples of programming that indicate attempts to make some headway towards the ideals of public service broadcasting." (Publisher description)
more
"Mit dem Vorhaben sollte der Zugang zu Informationen insbesondere mit regionalen Inhalten landesweit auch auf abgelegenen Inseln in den jeweils relevanten Sprachen Indonesiens verbessert werden. Es umfasste die Modernisierung und den Ausbau des staatlichen Rundfunksendernetzes durch den Aufbau moder
...
ner UKW-Sendeanlangen zur Ausstrahlung des Regionalprogramms „Regional I“. Der Projektumfang beinhaltete die Lieferung, Installation und Inbetriebnahme von UKW-Sendeanlagen an insgesamt 138 Standorten, Satellitensende- und -empfangsanlagen an 159 Standorten, Ersatzteile und Consulting-Unterstützung bei der Projektimplementierung und der Erarbeitung und Einführung eines Betriebs- und Wartungskonzeptes. [...] Das Scheitern des Vorhabens ist vor allem auf folgende Aspekte zuruckzufuhren: Für die Problematik der unzuverlässigen Stromversorgung an den Projektstandorten konnte in der Umsetzung keine hinreichende Lösung gefunden werden; Es ist nicht gelungen, ein funktionsfähiges Betriebs- und Wartungssystem aufzubauen, so dass 76% der Anlagen nicht mehr funktionsfähig sind." (Seite 1)
more
"The Media Development Initiative (MDI) commenced in January 2005. Component One, delivered through Papua New Guinea’s Media Council, provided support to media related and non government organisations through a flexible funding mechanism. It ended in January 2009. Component Two (MDI 2) focused on
...
the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), strengthening its capacity as the national public broadcaster through its pre existing relationship with the Australian Broadcasting Coroporation. MDI 2 is the subject of this evaluation." (Executive summary)
more
"State-run broadcasting organisations in the South are usually ill-prepared for their public-service role in new democracies. They are often poorly funded compared to their new, commercial rivals and often still bound by the same ‘rules of the game’ that governed them prior to the democratic era
...
. Broadcasters typically remain accountable to government and not to their listeners, and promote the interests and agendas of the political elite. This paper focuses on the experiences of DFID support to a radio programme in northern Nigeria [Hannu Daya] that sought to improve communication and debate between the government and the electorate. It argues that there are legitimate circumstances for development partners to engage with state-controlled media outlets, not least in rural areas where commercial broadcasters lack the financial incentive to establish stations and provide programming that has relevance to the poor. The authors critically examine the lessons learned from DFID’s support and identify measures that could assist similar initiatives in the future." (Abstract)
more
"The main conclusion is that the cooperation project has been very relevant for Indonesia and for Swedish development cooperation with Indonesia. Despite being a small donor, the project is implemented in a strategic sector, both for Indonesia and with regard to Swedish development cooperation goals
...
. It is an area where Sweden has a comparative advantage in the sense that Swedish radio (SR) is an established international partner in promotion of public service radio, a where a limited financial contribution can have a large impact. Radio Republik Indonesia (RRI) will most likely be able to sustain have the capacity to carry on efforts made within the project following the implementation period. Secondly, the evaluation team has found that the fi rst phase essentially achieved the objective of “introducing public service broadcasting” in Indonesia. The support came timely, giving adequate support to the political and administrative circles in Indonesia that wanted to encourage public service radio. The management of RRI appreciated SR-MDO’s support to the extent that they requested a second phase focused on implementing Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) more broadly in RRI. In the second phase the project did contribute to the implementation of PSB in the 13 main radio stations, while interviews confirm that only in 3 out of the 13 stations PSB was fully implemented. Most of the activities were put into operation, some according to plan, others were delayed, but most outputs were eventually reached. The start of the project phase was delayed and at the same time the general election was held six months earlier than initially said, which put a lot of pressure on the project to speed up activities, such as the election training and the installation of the technical network, while other activities had to wait such as audience research and staff skills training. Comments from project management indicate that perhaps the scope of the second phase was too ambitious to achieve over such a short time, and that fewer components could have been more efficient." (Conclusions, page 24)
more
"Als Partner des staatlichen Rundfunks Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA) leistet der Auslandssender Deutsche Welle (DW) einen wichtigen Beitrag zum Demokratisierungsprozess in Afganistan. Denn freie, unabhängige und verlässliche Medien sind in einer Demokratie unverzichtbar. Sie versorgen die Men
...
schen im ganzen Land mit Informationen und tragen so zu aktiver Meinungsbildung bei." (Seite 5)
more