"This is a brief overview of international assistance to media development in Iraq from the time of the invasion in 2003 to the formation of the Iraqi government and first weeks of the constitutional process in April-May 2005. This paper does not claim to give an exhaustive picture. It is meant as a
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n introduction to the main foreign actors and to some of their initiatives and plans. It is written with the clear premise that media development in Iraq has been, is and should of course continue to be led and inspired by the Iraqis themselves." (Introduction)
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"Covering 23 countries, the volume highlights and explains key issues of debate and current tendencies in media policy and provides basic statistics relating to each case study. The chapters are written by an expert from the country concerned. Most of these are members of the Euromedia Research Grou
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p, a research collective that has been active for more than 20 years and has produced a series of assessments of media policy developments in Europe." (Publisher description)
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"This book aims to record political activism on the Internet and "take stock of some of the successes and failures of cyberactivists as they try to beat the various censorship regimes in Asia." The sections of this 664-page book comprise of 'Political Frameworks & New Technology', 'Regulations and C
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ontrol', 'One Party States', 'Alternative Media', 'Civil Society', 'Diaspora Communities', and 'Political Parties'. The book's 18 chapters provide an overview of current trends in democracy related new media research to country-specific case studies. "The common thread running through the book is the organizing of civil society groups at the grassroots level, and how they are influencing certain segments of their respective countries, and even challenging state control and the monopoly of mainstream media." Asian Cyberactivism strives to examine political organising online in Asia even as the technology and the rules change. Activists provide their perspectives on how new media relates to democracy, and showcase examples that could be emulated to further the cause of democracy." (Communication Initiative)
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"This collection of essays covers the media and public debate dimension of the events of 9/11 and beyond, from the point of view of Middle Eastern and Asian countries. The first part of the book deals with the use of the media as an instrument of warfare, the growing significance of religion, the em
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ergence of transnational media and a transnational public sphere and the relationship between the West and the rest of the world. The second part of the book contains nine case studies relating to different parts of the Middle East and Asian world, all with a strong empirical focus, while at the same time elaborating the book's theoretical concerns." (Publisher description)
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"SDC regards this brochure as a document for discussion and orientation on the place of the media in international development cooperation. It is seeking to establish a framework in order to stimulate activities within this domain … The existence of a pluralist and autonomous press (written, audio
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visual and new media), carrying on its business within a global framework of respect for freedom, is the most important contribution that the media can make to governance. Every endeavour made in this direction deserves to be sustained by bilateral and multilateral aid. Nevertheless, considerable prudence is called for, as problems relating to media freedom, defamation or free access to public information are extremely difficult to regulate. It is for the local partners, and media professionals in particular, who have the difficult task of achieving consensus. The methodological approach to international aid is therefore very important." (Page 4, page 16)
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"Dans les démocraties africaines encore fragiles et à citoyenneté postulée, ce livre, en prenant l’exemple du Sénégal, pose la question des mass média sénégalais dans la perspective historique de leur émergence, dans leurs tiraillements ontologiques (tradition ou modernité) et dans leur
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s orientations parfois contradictoires; le tout sous-tendu par la question prospective de leur devenir. Les mass média sénégalais, malgré leur foisonnement, sont encore en quête de leur identité. Des spécialistes se sont penchés avec intérêt sur les contradictions qui traversent cette presse, dont le rôle considérable joué dans les avancées démocratiques du pays, avec en point culminant, l’alternance politique survenue en 2000, est unanimement reconnu. Cependant, ce foisonnement exceptionnel et ce rôle incontestable ne sont pas forcément signe de maturité; dans une certaine mesure, les mass média sénégalais s’inscrivent dans un processus de maturation encore non abouti, malgré la croissance exponentielle des titres. Les medias sénégalais sont, en effet, tributaires d’un environnement social, économique et juridique qu’il est nécessaire de pénétrer pour comprendre leur dynamique propre et leurs difficultés, comme la contradiction entre oralité et nouvelles technologies qui n’est pas la moindre." (Préface, page 9-10)
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"In May 2003, UNESCO and Sida jointly organized a seminar on ”Assistance to Media in Tension Areas and Violent Conflict”, bringing together a select number of NGOs, UN agencies and donors for two main purposes: first, to discuss various experiences and perspectives on assistance to media in conf
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lict situations and, second, to highlight the key issues relevant to conflict management and media support. The seminar, held in Vaxholm outside Stockholm, generated a number of recommendations that aimed at combining conflict management strategies and press freedom principles. These recommendations will be incorporated into the planning process leading up to World Press Freedom Day 2004, to be organized by UNESCO in Belgrade on 3 May 2004. In addition, they will be included in follow up donor discussions. A comprehensive discussion paper was produced as background for the seminar’s deliberations. The booklet before you is a compilation of the discussion papers produced for the seminar, reflecting the outcomes of the discussions." (Foreword)
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