"This paper aims to be 'an analytical tool designed to help stakeholders assess the state of the media and measure the impact of media development programmes' (page 7). It has been prepared to define indicators of media development in line with the priority areas of the International Programme for t
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he Development of Communications (IPDC). It suggests five major categories of indicators, and each category is broken down into a number of component issues and sources of verification. The five categories are: a system of regulation and control conductive to freedom of expression; plurality and diversity of media; media as a platform for democratic discourse; professional capacity building and supportive institutions; and infrastructural capacity." (CAMECO Update 2-2008)
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"Progress on Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) is more likely to occur when there is collaboration with others; where there are strategic opportunities; when UNESCO uses project funds to reward progressive policy change; where there are staff in the field who are committed to PSB; when there is foll
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ow-up and follow-through on activities; where UNESCO has a long-term perspective. The case study from Afghanistan (Appendix D) supports the view that collaborative programming has the potential to achieve much more than UNESCO could do alone. Collaboration is essential for large, long-term initiatives since UNESCO has limited funds available within the CI sector’s regular budget for PSB. UNESCO’s collaboration with UNDP in central Asia and its positioning of PSB within the UNDAF appears to have resulted in a positive influence. This is evident in Kyrgyzstan, for example, which developed a progressive broadcasting law that brought the country closer to a PSB model. UNESCO’s recent experiences in Malawi and Afghanistan demonstrate that significant movement towards PSB is possible in countries that are undergoing democratic reform. Post-conflict and failed states in transition can be fertile grounds for PSB but sustainable reforms are difficult to achieve within UNESCO’s planning cycle. UNESCO and its partners need to undertake thorough risk assessments in such countries before investing heavily. Cambodia illustrates one of UNESCO’s successful strategies for influencing change. UNESCO used IPDC funds to lever concessions from the Cambodian government. With IPDC as a carrot, UNESCO was able to persuade the government to introduce a new policy on editorial independence for broadcasters. As noted earlier, UNESCO’s greatest strength is its staff. In regions with knowledgeable and committed staff, it has had the largest volume of projects and made the most progress towards PSB. In contrast, where field officers have had little knowledge or interest in PSB, progress has been marginal." (Lessons, pages 25-26)
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"The present study of the UNESCO International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) is a follow-up of an evaluation of the Programme undertaken in 2002. The purpose of the study is to assess the efficiency of the reforms that have been undertaken since 2002. The study is mainly a de
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sk study based on relevant project and organisational documents of IPDC and the Communication and Information Sector (CI) in UNESCO. In addition, the team interviewed relevant resource persons." (Executive summary)
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"Since 2001, UNESCO has established more than 87 Community Multimedia Centres (CMCs) in over 22 developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean with major funding provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The evaluation describes the initiative's ma
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in achievement: 'The CMCs are accepted by and fully integrated into the communities and can in many cases be sustained beyond the pilot phase without core operating grants. The effort and funding that UNESCO has channeled into this transformative initiative have been exceeded by the hard work and commitment of the CMC staff and the communities where they are based. Among other key findings, the evaluators clearly acknowledge the contribution of CMCs to local development, noting that longer term benefits are already being realized within individual communities, such as the gradual removal of barriers to social inclusion, the stimulation of poverty alleviation through access to knowledge of better health, resource management, agriculture practices and the creation of new livelihoods opportunities. CMCs are also recognized as critical tools for local communities to mediate changes brought on by globalization and the advent of new technologies: The CMC role in fostering cultural resilience. The capacity of a community to retain critical knowledge and at the same time adapt to external influences and pressures - is particularly remarkable. In addition to an extensive review of documentation, the evaluation used field research, interviews, questionnaires, an online survey, and case studies to review the CMC initiative, a flagship activity of UNESCO's Communication and Information Sector. Equitable and expanded access to ICTs is promoted in many ways, such as subsidized training for those with special requirements and/or marginalized groups; close work with schools, small businesses and the independent sector; or the provision of information to more remote communities through radio, says the evaluation report. The evaluation also points out challenges faced by the CMC initiative, including the strategic use of CMC networks as delivery mechanisms for development services, from projects and programmes of UN agencies and national governments to those of local civil society groups. Many challenges relate to sustainability of local facilities in low-income and least-developed localities. As CMCs depend on volunteers for the delivery of training, radio programming and other services, they face difficulties in finding appropriate incentives for volunteers and struggle with managing volunteer turnover. Another challenge consists of opportunities for networking and staff development, which to date have been limited. Evaluators point out the need for CMCs to learn from and access expertise more easily and systematically from each other in order to be sustainable. Enabling national policy environments are very important for the development and sustainability of CMCs. Sudden changes in national policies on connectivity charges can destabilize CMCs and broadcast licensing restrictions or restrictions on press freedom can prevent CMCs from being able to broadcast freely and to a broader constituency, says the report." (UNESCO website)
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"ERNO is in the opinion of all directors and leading editors I talked to for the purpose of this report a very important tool, not only for the exchange of news in the not so far very troubled region of Europe, but is also a very suitable mechanism for starting an even more productive and widespread
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cooperation between public broadcasters in SE Europe. The ERNO news exchange has established itself as an “irretrievable source” of TV news between the countries in South East Europe in a very short time. Currently it produces more than 1000 items annually with the quality of the exchanged items (content and shooting) improved considerably from year to year. Although some differences in quality still exist, the overall quality of the offered news items is in accordance with prevailing EBU standards. Beyond the news exchange, the ERNO mission should be the promotion of co-productions, professionalism in all fields of TV production: journalistic skills, editing, shooting etc. and reinvention of the traditional cooperation between public broadcasters in the region." (Conclusion and recommendations, page 20)
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"UNESCO’s involvement with the books programme started off as general in character, becoming focused in the 1990s on country-specific circumstances, culminating in the publication of the practical guide, The National Book Policy. Numerous actions were initiated and implemented under the programmes
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and include: the elaboration of national policies taking into account the concerns of both the public and private sectors; training; publication of guidelines; and the promotion of the value of reading by initiating activities on the occasion of World Book and Copyright Day – activities, which come under the two central themes: Books for All and Towards a Reading Society. The evaluation set out to assess “UNESCO in relation to the book” and thus was concerned with the Organization’s activities (policies, strategies and procedures relating to the production and dissemination capacities in the book and other cultural industries and to the promotion of culture, with special attention given to the sphere of children) during 1990-1997. The World Decade for Cultural Development (1988-1997) was used as a general frame of reference, together with the third Medium-Term Plan (starting in 1990)." (UNESCO website, 02.02.2011)
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"The International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) was created by UNESCO in 1980. The pivotal aim was to increase co-operation and assistance for the development of communication infrastructures and to reduce the gap between countries in the communication field. The programme e
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merged from debates within UNESCO about a New World Communication and Information order, and reflections on the importance of communications media as tools for development.
Norway has supported IPDC from the very beginning, and was, one of the main founders of the program’s Special Account. Down the years Norway has contributed a total of US$ 11 428 000 to the Special Account from 1982 to 2000. The Norwegian contribution has however gradually decreased from 1 052 000 US$ in 1988, to around 2 million NOK annually in recent years (varying between 226,432 and 308,315 US$ according to the exchange rate). During the last six years Norway has allocated 1 576 474 US$ to the Special Account. Norway is the second largest donor after Denmark. Until 2001 support to IPDC was specified as a separate item in the budget of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For the 2001/2002 budget it was decided to allocate support to the IPDC under the heading of “Good governance” (UD 2002: post 74, page 153–154).
The financial contributions to the IPDC have always been inadequate, and the problem worsened after 1995 due to the drastic drop in funding. In 2001 a moratorium was put on new projects and 46 approved projects were waiting to be financed. Given Norway’s relationship to the IPDC, it is not surprising that it would like to see an evaluation both of the program’s impact and its current impecunious situation. The role of projects in the area of media and communication must be considered within the framework of Norway’s total development policies, but particularly in relation to the commitment to strengthen democracy, accountability and transparency where the media play a central role. The present evaluation is intended to serve as a background for a renewed discussion of the continuation of Norwegian support to the IPDC, and of the reorientation and renewal of the programme." (Fact sheet, page 6)
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"Gerade in Taschkent ist bei den Entwicklungsländern das Bewußtsein dafür gewachsen, daß sie materielle Hilfe zum Aufbau eigener Medieninfrastrukturen nur vom Westen erwarten können. Der Abbau des Ungleichgewichts zwischen Nord und Süd auf dem Gebiet der Information ist für den Osten nur Vorw
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and zu ideologischer Schützenhilfe im Kampf um eine neue Weltinformations- und Kommunikationsordnung. Tatsächliche Medienhilfe leistet die Sowjetunion nur bei den Staaten, die ohnehin weitgehend unter ihrem Einfluß stehen (etwa Kuba oder Angola). Die Beiträge der Sowjetunion zum IPDC-Sonderkonto wurden etwa zur Hälfte in nichtkonvertierbaren Rubeln geleistet und stellen deshalb nichts anderes als bilaterale Hilfe dar, die sonst von ihr, sofern sie aus dem Westen kommt, wegen ihrer angeblichen Anbindung an politische Konditionen so gern diskreditiert wird. Eine sowjetische Zusage, Nachrichtenagenturen aus Ländern der Dritten Welt Sondertarife für die Benutzung von Satellitenkanälen einzuräumen, ist ebenfalls vorrangig propagandistischer Natur und von geringer faktischer Bedeutung, da sie allenfalls auf den verbilligten Bezug von TASSNachrichten hinausläuft. Demgegenüber hat die Bundesrepublik Deutschland bisher Medienhilfe in beträchlichem Umfang gewährt. Seit Gründung des Bundesministeriums für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit 1961 wurden bis zum Jahresende 1982 von der Bundesrepublik Deutschland insgesamt 530 Medienprojekte mit einem Bewilligungsvolumen von 990 Mill. DM gefördert. Auch wenn die Summe der Ist-Ausgaben um etwa ein Drittel geringer ist, illustriert diese Zahl sinnfällig das hohe medienpolitische Engagement der Bundesrepublik in der Dritten Welt. Allein 1982 wurden 64 Projektbewilligungen im Gesamtvolumen von 82 Mill. DM ausgesprochen. In der regionalen Verteilung rangiert Afrika vor Asien und Lateinamerika. Der Förderungsschwerpunkt liegt dabei auf der Entwicklung des Hörfunks wegen seiner großen Akzeptanz auch in Gegenden mit geringer Alphabetisierungsrate und der günstigen Möglichkeit zum Direktempfang mittels billiger Transistorgeräte. Förderung von Fernsehen, Druckmedien, Film und Nachrichtenagenturen folgt erst mit größerem Abstand. Die Zusammenarbeit mit den Empfängerländern umfaßt dabei folgende Bereiche: Auf- und Ausbau von Medieneinrichtungen (Studio-, Sende- und Empfangsanlagen, Druckereien etc.); Entsendung von Fachberatern sowie Aus- und Fortbildung für Journalisten, Rundfunktechniker und ähnliche Berufsgruppen. Die finanzielle und technische Zusammenarbeit auf der Regierungsebene mit den Entwicklungsländern erfolgt über die Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau bzw. die Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit. Große Bedeutung kommt daneben den Projektaktivitäten nichtstaatlicher Organisationen wie der politischen Stiftungen und der Zentralstellen der Kirchen zu. Ausbildungsprogramme werden insbesondere vom Internationalen Institut für Journalismus in Berlin sowie von den Ausbildungszentren der Deutschen Welle (Hörfunk) und des Senders Freies Berlin (Fernsehen) offeriert. Stipendienprogramme werden in der Regel von der Carl-Duisberg-Gesellschaft durchgeführt. Fast die Hälfte der Ist-Ausgaben der finanziellen und technischen Zusammenarbeit im Mediensektor entfiel so im Jahre 1982 auf nichtstaatliche Träger. Dies entspricht auch unserer Auffassung von der begrenzten Rolle der Regierungen im Bereich der Medien überhaupt. Während sich die Medienhilfe bisher auf die Lieferung von Ausrüstung und Material (hardware) sowie auf Ausbildungs- und Beratungshilfe konzentrierte, wird künftig verstärktes Augenmerk der Programmhilfe (software) etwa für Rundfunk und Fernsehen zu widmen sein. Koproduktionen zwischen deutschen Anstalten und Partnern in der Dritten Welt weisen hier den Weg." (Seite 185-186)
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"Brings together 54 articles on research and policy on communications in the "three worlds" by scholars and policy makers from the U.S., Western Europe, the socialist countries including the U.S.S.R. and Eastern Europe, and the developing world, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America - 25 countri
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es all told. The editors' goal was "not to orchestrate the voices but to select papers that are well-argued and representative of the diversity of opinion on various issues." Thus there are case studies as well as policy statements and critiques. In five parts: "Global Perspectives on Information," "Transnational Communications: The Flow of News and Images," "Telecommunications," "Mass Communications: Development within National Contexts," and "Intergovemmental Systems. " Appendixes include a bibliography, international and intergovernmental events and documents on the subject, acronyms and other terms used, and global satellite systems." (Eleanor Blum, Frances G. Wilhoit: Mass media bibliography. 3rd ed. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1990 Nr. 143)
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