media development library

Filter

459

Sort by:

Direction:

External Link (164)

Ugandans support free media that holds government accountable

Jane Mercy Muthoni Kamunyi

Afrobarometer (2025), 10 pp.

"Findings from the Afrobarometer Round 9 survey (2022) show that a strong majority of Ugandans supported media freedom and believed the media should play a watchdog role by investigating and reporting on government mistakes and corruption. Most citizens said the public should have access to governme ... more

External Link (166)

Estado del Desarrollo de los Medios: América Latina y el Caribe

Emy Osorio Matorel

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2025), 20 pp.

"Los medios de interés público en América Latina y el Caribe son resilientes e innovadores, pero el entorno que los rodea sigue siendo frágil. Como ha mostrado este estudio, ninguno de los seis principios de la OCDE se cumple plenamente, con las mayores brechas en el financiamiento (apoyo de cor ... more

Download (76)

Results of the survey for journalists

Taktak; Display Europe (2025), 9 pp.

"This report presents the main results of the surveys for journalists launched by the European cofunded project Taktak in collaboration with Display Europe in July and November 2024. The surveys aimed to have an overview of the working life of journalists in Europe, and gathered 436 replies. The two ... more

External Link (148)

African insights 2025: Citizen engagement, citizen power: Africans claim the promise of democracy

Accra: Afrobarometer (2025), 45 pp.

"Afrobarometer public-attitude surveys have been tracking citizen engagement on the continent for 25 years. This report, the second in an annual series on high-priority topics, draws on data spanning the past decade, including the latest round of nationally representative surveys in 39 countries, r ... more

External Link (218)

Innovation as the Driving Survival Force: The State of the Russian Independent Media in Exile

Berlin: JX Fund (2025), 46 pp.

"Exiled Russian media persist as resilient voices for truth despite repression and funding cuts. Over the past year, the exiled media sector has faced several new restrictions in form of legal pressure on media teams, their audiences and advertisers. As YouTube traffic dropped significantly with abo ... ut 60%, following the last year’s slowdowns, the Russian authorities put pressure on other platforms, for example, WhatsApp, requiring them to share users' data with FSB. Introduction of the state messenger MAX marked another step towards an attempt to reroute the consumers towards state-allowed content only. Despite unprecedented repression, financial hardship, and isolation, the Russian independent media in exile have demonstrated remarkable resilience, continuing to expose state abuses, inform audiences inside Russia, and strengthen democratic discourse abroad. Sustained international support and recognition of their role as part of Europe’s broader security and information ecosystem are now essential to ensure their survival and impact. The abrupt withdrawal of U.S. funding in 2025 has severely undermined the stability of Russian independent media in exile. With the abrupt cuts in major U.S. funding sources, exiled Russian outlets have lost on average 6% of the funding as compared to the last year (when an average annual budget for a medium to large media was €902,778). This is a significant drop. However, comparing to the consequences faced by other countries, it is a smaller funding cut than expected. The media sector faces stronger competition as the media development intermediaries are themselves under the shutdown. Many media have been forced to downsize, cut projects, and rely on unstable ad-hoc grants, revealing both their extraordinary resilience and the fragility of their dependence on external support. The Kremlin’s toolbox expands with growing investment into propaganda, censorship automation and sanctions against information consumers. As the Kremlin censorship has expanded to target content consumers, independent outlets lost about 22% of readership on their webpages. Additionally, the censors continued to introduce new legal restrictions for the advertisers collaborating with independent media, as well as to recognize the independent media as “foreign agents”, “undesirable organizations” and even “terrorists.” Meanwhile, the Kremlin increased its investments into propaganda machine with 7%, including the additional $65 million to Russia Today that targets foreign audiences; as well as innovated automated means of identify and flag an undesired content. Against this backdrop, supporting secure access to information and amplifying independent media must remain central to countering authoritarian disinformation and defending the right to alternative independent information. Independent media innovate to maintain trust and engage audiences. Amid censorship, audience fatigue, and shrinking online space, the 63 Russian independent media in exile continue to reach millions by diversifying platforms, introducing more personalized content, and rebuilding trust through human-centered personalized journalism. Over the last year, the media have compensated the loss of audiences on their webpages via Instagram (+108%), TikTok (90%) and YouTube (+11%). AI empowers exiled newsrooms while exposing new ethical and security challenges. As Russian independent media in exile navigate scarce resources and digital insecurity, artificial intelligence emerges as both a lifeline and a liability. AI currently empowers most of the media teams in exile, and assists in transcription, content creation, data collection for investigative reporting, data analysis, and audience engagement. Yet, AI also exposes the media to new challenges, such as security & privacy, verification & accuracy. Building collective AI literacy, shared standards, and secure innovation support would allow strengthening media resilience. " (Executive summary) more

External Link (277)

Journalism under Duress: Worlds of Journalism Study Report (Wave 3: 2021–2025)
Deep Insights

Thomas Hanitzsch, Folker Hanusch, Corinna Lauerer, Vera Slavtcheva-Petkova (eds.)

Munich: Ludwig-Maximilian Universität (LMU), WJS Center (2025), 371 pp.

"This report presents findings from the third wave of the Worlds of Journalism Study (WJS3), conducted between 2021 and 2025. In this iteration, we focused on journalists’ perceptions of risk and uncertainty in their profession and sought to identify key factors that shape how journalists navigate ... more

Download (164)

Gender Profile of the Ukrainian Media

Zoia Krasovska, Lisa Kuzmenko, Tetiana Avdieieva

Women in Media (2025), 39 pp.

External Link (255)

The State of Media Development: Asia-Pacific

Umesh Pokharel

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2025), 23 pp.

"Amid the Asia-Pacific region’s complex political and media landscape — marked by authoritarian regression, shrinking civic space, digital surveillance, funding shortfalls, and gender inequality — this study has explored the current status of media development in the region vis à vis the OECD ... 's six principles for relevant and effective media support [...] This leads to the following key recommendations: – Safeguard independent journalism through ethical support, risk awareness, and mutual accountability: Media programs must integrate local risk assessments and ethical protections to maintain editorial independence. Donors should adapt visibility approaches to protect partners in sensitive settings and foster open, two-way communication for adaptive, shared accountability. – Secure sustainable, inclusive, and crisis-responsive media financing that reflects media’s public value: Unrestricted, long-term funding is critical for media sustainability, particularly in fragile or exiled contexts. Media should be treated as a core democratic institution with expanded support reaching marginalized communities and integrated into broader development sectors. – Design media support with systemic, evidence-based and inclusive approaches that address structural gaps: Support must be grounded in deep ecosystem diagnostics and be inclusive of marginalized voices. Resources should strengthen hyperlocal and digital-first media while building local advocacy and resilience with donor collaboration enabling long-term impact. – Put local expertise and diverse leadership at the center of strategy, funding, and decision-making processes: Local actors should lead program planning and execution, supported by simplified access, institutional investment, and inclusive leadership — especially for women, rural, and displaced journalists. – Build coherent, transparent, and diplomatically backed coordination mechanisms that prioritize local participation: Donors should institutionalize inclusive coordination platforms, fund coordination roles, and streamline compliance. Diplomatic engagement should align with media development to bolster press freedom during crises. – Invest in contextualized research, continuous learning, and regional knowledge exchange to future-proof media systems: Locally led research, updated journalism education, and regional knowledge-sharing must be supported to address emerging issues and build resilience across Asia-Pacific media landscapes. While the findings are drawn from key informant interviews with ten organizations across eight Asia-Pacific countries and a small online survey sample and thus has limitations in terms of representativity, the report does provide a valuable starting point for broader future assessments and strategic planning in media development in the Asia-Pacific region." (Conclusion and key recommendations, page 22) more

External Link (218)

The State of Media Development: Latin America and the Caribbean

Emy Osorio Matorel

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2025), 20 pp.

"Public-interest media across Latin America and the Caribbean are resilient and innovative, yet the enabling environment remains fragile. As this study has shown, none of the six OECD principles is fully met, with the sharpest gaps in funding (short-term, projectized support), donor coordination, an ... more

External Link (210)

The State of Media Development: Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Giorgi Jangiani

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2025), 20 pp.

"The report highlights both urgent challenges and emerging opportunities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia — a region grappling with financial instability driven by the Russian war in Ukraine, political manipulation, declining support from tech platforms, and the potential loss of decades of accu ... mulated human and intellectual capital in the media sector. These challenges are further compounded by growing polarization, opaque platform-dominated markets, and increasingly repressive legislation. As a result, many media organizations are being forced into untenable choices between defending press freedom and investing in innovation and content production. Despite these pressures, the study emphasizes the resilience and adaptability of local media actors. Donor support remains meaningful in key areas such as institutional strengthening, coordination, research/learning and promoting local ownership. However, the report stresses that financial support alone is not enough — it calls for sustained, principled, and coordinated engagement. As one interviewee noted, “We don’t want to end up in a situation where we’re forced to sacrifice one principle over another — but in this region, that’s already happening.” While panic is not a strategy, inaction risks deepening the crisis. This report provides clear guidance for donors and implementers to reinforce media ecosystems and protect public interest journalism. If we were to summarize the key recommendations of this report, they would be: – Ensure sustainable core funding: Core support is essential to respond to crises and reduce reliance on politically influenced or commercially driven content. – Invest in long-term tech innovation: Fragmented, short-term digital investments fall short. Donors must coordinate support for scalable, sustainable digital strategies and help reclaim advertising revenue. – Address local media gaps: In many areas, television remains dominant while digital capacity lags. Fund initiatives that reinforce local democratic discourse and reduce polarization. – Strengthen legal and safety protections: Small and exiled media face legal threats and security risks. Long-term investment is needed in legal reform, journalist safety, and operational resilience. – Prioritize local leadership and inclusion: Donor reliance on international actors often sidelines capable local organizations. Local voices must be centered in strategy, funding, and implementation. Finally, it’s worth noting that the regional findings are based on a focused but insightful sample: 13 organizations from Eastern Europe and Central Asia participated in the survey (as part of the global survey), alongside 10 key informant interviews. Despite its limited scope, the report offers a solid foundation for future assessments and strategic agenda-setting in media development." (Conclusions and key recommendations) more

External Link (231)

Klassisches Radio ist gut in der Region verankert: Ergebnisse und Methodik der ma 2025 Audio I

Karin Gattringer, Sabine Jaeger

Media Perspektiven, issue 9 (2025), 10 pp.

"Knapp 93 Prozent der deutschsprachigen Bevölkerung ab 14 Jahren hören der ma 2025 Audio I zufolge regelmäßig Audioangebote. Fast drei Viertel schalten täglich mindestens ein Radioprogramm ein und dies über vier Stunden lang. Der Radiomarkt fragmentiert weiter – die Anzahl der genannten Send ... more

External Link (306)

Google Scholar (281)

WorldCat (280)

The podcast as the centre of young Colombians’ information consumption in the digital sonosphere

Andrés Barrios-Rubio

Radio Journal: International Studies in Broadcast & Audio Media, volume 23, issue 1 (2025), pp. 59-81

"The relationship between the sound industry and its audience is influenced by the widespread use of smartphones as the primary means of accessing the internet. This has led to a transformation in media logics, particularly among young people in Colombia, as they adapt to an evolving ecosystem that ... more

External Link (362)

Google Scholar (272)

WorldCat (231)

Determinants of watchdog journalism: A global empirical approach

Basyouni Ibrahim Hamada, Abdel-Salam G. Abdel-Salam

International Communication Gazette, volume 87, issue 3 (2025), pp. 191-216

"This article introduces and examines a hierarchical model of influences that identifies the variables affecting the watchdog role of journalists at three levels: the societal (press freedom and democracy), the organizational (media ownership), and the individual (editorial autonomy and perceived in ... more

External Link (312)

Google Scholar (259)

WorldCat (240)

Unpacking the African media typology: Perspectives from journalists in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda

Meghan Sobel Cohen

International Communication Gazette, volume 87, issue 7 (2025), pp. 633-656

"The uniqueness of journalism cultures across African nations often highlights the inapplicability of normative, Western-centric theories. The newly proposed African media typology suggests that media systems in Africa would be best understood by thinking about them within the context of the type of ... more

External Link (305)

Google Scholar (262)

WorldCat (303)

Why do people spread fake news? Modelling the factors that influence social media users’ fake news sharing behaviour

Yan An, Yinan Huang, Ndonima Uhwe Danjuma, Oberiri Destiny Apuke, Elif Asude Tunca

Information Development, volume 41, issue 1 (2025), pp. 48-60

"This study modelled the factors that influence fake news spreading behaviour among social media users. To gather our data, we used an online survey to sample 385 social media users in Nigeria, using a chain referral approach. Smart PLS structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data (SEM ... more

External Link (237)

Gesellschaftliche Teilhabe und Meinungsbildung auf Twitch: Von einer reinen Gaming-Plattform zum Ort für politischen Austausch?

Viola Carolina Granow

Media Perspektiven, issue 15 (2025), 16 pp.

"42 Prozent der 14- bis 40-Jährigen in Deutschland nutzen Twitch mindestens selten. Die Twitch-User sind überwiegend männlich und zum größten Teil zwischen 21 und 30 Jahren alt. Gaming ist meist der erste Berührungspunkt mit Twitch. Auf der Plattform stehen Content-Creator und ihre Livestreams ... more

External Link (211)

Countering Misinformation in Political Reporting: Enhancing Journalistic Legitimacy

Stephen Cushion, Maria Kyriakidou

Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press (2025), 200 pp.

"This book examines how journalists should deal with the growing tide of political disinformation and public scepticism towards news media. Informed by the latest research from the UK and around the world, the book draws on a series of UK-based studies over a six-year period between 2019-2024, syste ... more

External Link (169)

Mental health in Latin American journalists: Psycho-social impact and protective factors. A preliminary overview

Paloma Lainz, Adamantia Lampouka

Amsterdam; Mexico, DF: Free Press Unlimited; National Autonomous University of Mexico, Faculty of Psychology (2025), 33 pp.

"This report presents preliminary results from an online survey of 282 journalists across 18 countries, with a qualitative phase planned to deepen these insights. Our focus was on symptoms related to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, and burnout, as well as organizational a ... more

Download (113)

Negotiating Journalism: The (In)congruences of Role Expectations and Evaluation of Media Performance Between Audiences and News Professionals in Chile

Alexis Cruz, Claudia Mellado

International Journal of Communication, volume 19 (2025), pp. 1893–1917

"Based on an online survey with 330 Chilean journalists and 4,615 media users, this study examines the discrepancies between the expectations of Chilean audiences and news professionals regarding journalistic roles and their evaluation of media performance. The findings reveal that audiences place g ... more

Journalism under Duress: Worlds of Journalism Study Report (Wave 3: 2021–2025) Deep Insights

Journalism under Duress: Worlds of Journalism Study Report (Wave 3: 2021–2025)
Deep Insights