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From Pictures to Policy: How Does Humanitarian Reporting Have an Influence?

Suzanne Franks

In: Humanitarianism, Communications and Change. Global Crises and the Media

Simon Cottle; Glenda. Cooper (eds.)

Peter Lang (2015), pp. 153-166

"In contrast to the contemporary media perception the government aid provided to Ethiopia was pretty much existing money that was reconfigured and, despite appearances, there was no ‘new money’. The UK Government rejected any longer term ongoing engagement and was just concerned with short-term ... more

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Community Information Flows to Reduce Inter-Communal Violence in Burma

Emily Speers Mears et al.

Search for Common Ground (2015), 71 pp.

"The research presented in this report aims to contribute towards a better understanding of the way in which rumors, hate speech, and manipulated information contribute to inter-communal conflict and outbreaks of inter-communal violence in Myanmar. It focuses on Muslim-Buddhist inter-communal confli ... ct in one urban and one peri-urban area: Lashio, the largest town in Shan state, and Amarapura, a former capital on the outskirts of Mandalay [...] People in Lashio and Amarapura draw upon a wide range of sources for information and news. They mainly obtain information by word of mouth from friends, colleagues, people who travel for their work, and figures of authority. They share this information by phone and online messaging services, and in markets, teashops and pagodas, as well as other places where people gather such as bus stations. Certain individuals in the community are regarded as trustworthy sources of information including religious leaders, teachers, bosses, government officials, and community leaders. Many people also have access to news applications on Facebook, and/or read journals and newspapers, listen to the radio, and watch TV in order to find out about news that affects them. People report a high level of skepticism about the news that they hear, particularly from sources like Facebook and government newspapers. They analyze not only the information itself but also the source of that information, and check whether it is accurate with people who live in the affected area, or by going to see for themselves. Family members or trusted community members are also consulted to verify or analyze news and information. Respondents also claim to try to verify information by checking different news sources. The more they can cross-reference, the more confident they are that the information is accurate. [...] The causes of inter-religious inter-communal conflict in Myanmar are not well understood. There is a long history of Muslim settlement in Myanmar, and of peaceful relations between Muslims and Buddhists. This changed with the arrival of the British, whose colonial policies brought an influx of Indians, including Muslims, to Myanmar. Specifically anti-Muslim (rather than anti-Indian) tensions first came to a head in 1938; however an inquiry into the anti-Muslim riots of that time found that while the riots had religious anti-Muslim undertones, the real causes were political, economic and social. There have been irregular outbreaks of anti-Muslim violence in subsequent decades, but unfortunately few detailed investigations or analyses of their causes, due to the difficulty of conducting research under the socialist and military governments, and to the sensitivity of the issue. This difficulty persists to the present. [...] Both Muslims and Buddhists are worried about religious violence, and the impact that it might have on the economy. However, most people in Lashio are probably more immediately worried about the fighting between the Tatmadaw and the ethnic armed groups that is taking place outside of Lashio, which has negative effect on the economy, on their livelihoods, and on their feelings of security, due to the numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who have sought safety in Lashio. Ethnic groups in Lashio are concerned that the religious conflict will also have an impact on ethnic relations, due to the different religions amongst the ethnic groups. In Lashio, there is also a high level of anti-Chinese sentiment on the part of the Bamar and other ethnic groups. [...] The large amount of rumors about Muslims and about Muslim-Buddhist conflict that we heard in Lashio and Amarapura suggest that people are concerned about this conflict. Negative rumors contribute to the background levels of hatred and distrust of Muslims and serve to manifest tensions between the two communities. This kind of background hatred and distrust may not in itself result in violence. But it means that Buddhists and Muslims in these areas do not mix, and fosters an environment of suspicion and hostility, creating an enabling environment for violence. However, on their own, rumors are not sufficient to trigger violence. For every example of a situation where (true or false) rumors have triggered violence, there is an example where rumors have not triggered violence. Other factors – harder to identify – contribute to outbreaks of violence, and to the underlying conflict. It is essential that these factors be understood if the root causes of inter-communal conflict are to be addressed. KEY RECOMMENDATIONS With this analysis in mind, the following recommendations are provided: recognize the important role that word-of-mouth communication plays in the ways that rumors are spread; recognize and understand the nuances in each local context, in order to develop a deeper understanding of why people feel insecure, as well as to identify root causes of the conflict; mitigate the background levels of anti-Muslim hate speech, by engaging with the genuine Buddhist concerns that are expressed through hate speech; and strengthen community resilience to potential ‘trigger’ rumors – and recognize and strengthen existing efforts to combat these rumors." (Executive summary, page 3-7) more

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Making Secondary Trauma a Primary Issue: A Study of Eyewitness Media and Vicarious Trauma on the Digital Frontline

Sam Dubberley, Elizabeth Griffin, Haluk Mert Bal

Istanbul: Eyewitness Media Hub (2015), 69 pp.

"The rapid and incredible growth of eyewitness media (also known as user-generated content or UGC) has led to the emergence of a new cadre of journalists, humanitarian and human rights professionals whose job it is to seek out, verify and edit the most disturbing and traumatic raw images captured by ... non professionals and posted online. These professionals are tasked with viewing and sifting through massive volumes of eyewitness media - that is, raw, unedited, authentic footage now captured regularly on smartphones - to enhance their investigations, reporting, operations, prosecutions and advocacy. Professionals who work with eyewitness media watch disturbing footage from war zones, natural and manmade disasters and accidents over and over again to verify its veracity and to edit out images that are deemed too extreme for viewing by the general public. Viewing traumatic images of death, destruction, blood and unimaginable horrors all day every day - often for years on end - is now an integral part of the daily work of many desk-bound staff working for news, human rights and humanitarian organisations who are often located thousands of miles away from where the actual horrors occur. Whether it is a broadcaster, publisher, human rights or humanitarian professional, symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are now evident amongst staff working in offices on what we call the digital frontline. This study builds upon previous research that proved that viewing distressing eyewitness media can lead psychological injury, including, but not restricted to, such conditions as PTSD and major depression. The principle aim of this research is to explore the following questions: How much distressing eyewitness media are professionals, who work in the three professional sectors, watching? How frequently, and in what volumes are professionals viewing distressing eyewitness media? What kinds of eyewitness media do professionals find particularly distressing?" What coping mechanisms, if any, have been developed by staff to help mitigate the potentially negative effects of viewing distressing content? - What support, if any, do professionals receive from their organisations and senior managers? - Does organisational culture encourage or prevent professionals from requesting support from their organisation’s hierarchy? What training and preparation is provided to raise awareness of or mitigate the adverse impact of trauma exposure on university graduates, newcomers and those established in post? What resources do organisations provide to prevent, mitigate and treat the adverse impact of trauma exposure? Which of those resources have been used? Which are found to be the most useful? What do staff who experience vicarious trauma need and expect from their organisations in order to support them? Based on an online survey (to which we received 209 responses from people working with eyewitness media across all three professional sectors) and 38 in-depth, anonymous interviews we find that: the impact of eyewitness media on journalism, human rights and humanitarian work means that the frontline is no longer geographic. A new type of frontline has emerged that is digital. Staff at an organisation’s headquarters who work with eyewitness media do so daily and often see more horror on a daily basis compared to their counterparts deployed in the field. Consequently, organisations have a duty of care towards office based staff working on the digital frontline who are at serious risk of vicarious trauma and PTSD [...] " (Executive summary, page 3-5) more

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Professionalism and Journalism Ethics in Post-Authoritarian Mexico: Perceptions of News for Cash, Gifts, and Perks

Mireya Márquez Ramírez

In: The Ethics of Journalism: Individual, Institutional and Cultural Influences

Wendy N. Wyatt (ed.)

London; New York: Tauris (2014), pp. 55-64

"Today, Mexican journalists see themselves as generational change agents. These journalists — many of whom are university graduates — stand in stark contrast to their corrupt, ill-equipped, trained-on-the-job predecessors who were fond of bribe ... more

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Situation Analysis and Sustainability of Community Radio in Bangladesh

Management and Resources Development Initiative (MRDI);Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2014), 77 pp.

"This document details the current situation in seven out of 14 Community Radios in operation in Bangladesh at present. While one of the motives behind this study is to see how these young stations are faring and catering programmes to the target a ... more

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The Commercialization of Da'wah: Understanding Indonesian Sinetron and Their Portrayal of Islam

Inaya Rakhmani

International Communication Gazette, volume 76, issue 4-5 (2014), pp. 340-359

"The impact of media industrialization on mediated religious expression all over the world has been substantial, and this study tries to understand the Indonesian case by looking at the intersections between commerce and Islamic expression. Focusing on Indonesian Islamic sinetron (soap operas), we s ... more

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Reconnoitering the role of (citizen) journalism ethics in the emerging networked public sphere

Bruce Mutsvairo, Simon Columbus, Iris Leijendekker

African Journalism Studies, volume 35, issue 3 (2014), pp. 4-22

"This study surveys the ethical beliefs of citizen journalists in several sub-Saharan African countries. The research showed that they are driven by a sense of social responsibility and a wish to inform their readers and the general public. Citizen journalists show a clear anti-authoritarian strain ... more

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Business Journalism Thrives - Even Under Repressive Regimes

Don Podesta

Washington, DC: Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) (2014), 8 pp.

"Even as a growing number of authoritarian regimes crack down on the political press, business news is thriving. And the coverage is more vigorous than might be expected. Enterprising journalists are exposing mismanagement and unearthing shady business deals, and — even at times exposing official ... more

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Information Ecosystems in Transition: A Case Study from Myanmar. How to Inform, Empower and Impact Communities. Part One: Research Findings

Andrew Wasuwongse, Alison Campbell

Internews (2014), 56 pp.

"The research focuses on three themes. Firstly, it identifies and maps the information environment in Mon State in terms of technology and media use across urban, rural, non-conflict, and former conflict geographic areas. Secondly, the flow of news and information is examined to ... more

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Views on Children's Media Use in Indonesia: Parents, Children, and Teachers

Hendriyani, Ed Hollander, Leen d'Haenens, Johannes Beentjes

International Communication Gazette, volume 76, issue 4-5 (2014), pp. 322-339

"This article describes the views of parents, children, and teachers concerning media use by Indonesian children. Survey data of parents (N=462), children (N=589), and teachers (N=104) show that children see themselves as more advanced users of new ... more

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The Road to Justice: Breaking the Cycle of Impunity in the Killing of Journalists

New York: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) (2014), 47 pp.

"CPJ’s analysis of global rates of impunity in journalist killings over the past seven years shows that they have for the most part gotten worse. There are some encouraging signs in the data. The number of convictions of suspects behind these crimes appears to be slightly on the rise, but thi s nu ... more

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The Social Media Landscape in Nigeria

africapractice (2014), 32 pp.

"This report is the 1st of future analysis, which aims to highlight the personalities and the platforms that are the most impactful through the quality of content and material ( not just the most popular but the most reliable, forward thinking, social media bodies that are in*uencing the landscape w ... more

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Reporting Atrocities: A Toolbox for Journalists Covering Violent Conflict and Atrocities
Key Guidance

Peter du Toit

Internews (2014), 61 pp.

"This toolbox should provide some insights and tools for journalists reporting on events in other countries, but it has primarily been developed for journalists reporting on extremely violent conflicts in their own communities. It hopes to provide these journalists with insights they can draw on in ... more

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Entertainment Media Use in Qatar: Survey Results

Qatar: Northwestern University in Qatar (2014), 15 pp.

"This publication covers attitudes toward, and behavior pertaining to, entertainment media among residents in Qatar [...] These results suggest notable differences among the nationalities living in Qatar with regard to their attitudes, preferences and behaviors related to entertainment media. In man ... more

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In the Service of the Public: Functions and Transformation of Media in Developing Countries
Inspiring Practice

Jan Lublinski, Petra Berner, Merjam Wakili (eds.)

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2014), 300 pp.

"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

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Oral History and Digital Humanities: Voice, Access, and Engagement

Douglas A. Boyd, Mary A. Larson (eds.)

New York et al.: Palgrave Macmillan (2014), xv, 205 pp.

"Exploring the developments that have occurred in the practice of oral history since digital audio and video became viable, this book explores various groundbreaking projects in the history of digital oral history, distilling the insights of pioneers in the field and applying them to the constantly ... more

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What Do You See? Design of a Communication Strategy to Promote Positive Change for Unorganized Workers in Karnataka, India

Sabina von Kessel

Bangalore: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) (2013), 61 pp.

"The specific objectives of this paper are to review and evaluate the print material used by the GIZ [in Karnataka] and examine if it can be read, understood and related to by the participants; to provide a channel for clear and understandable communication that supports and incorporates the visual ... more

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You Cannot Not See: The Media in the June 2013 Demonstrations

Daniel Fonsêca

São Paulo: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) (2013), 29 pp.

"The June 2013 protests in Brazil caused a veritable political earthquake. Initially demanding the right to affordable public transportation, hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets to express their discontent, which gradually came to include the sluggish progress made in public heal ... more

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Évaluation de l’appui aux médias en période électorale en Afrique subsaharienne. Synthèse du rapport

SEE

Paris: Ministère des Affaires Étrangères (2013), 27 pp.

"L’appui à la couverture médiatique du scrutin vise trois objectifs : offrir une information suffisante au citoyen pour que son choix électoral soit posé en connaissance de cause; garantir le pluralisme à travers la visibilité octroyée aux différentes forces en présence; crédibiliser le ... more

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A Guidebook of Broadcast and Newspaper Indicators

Montreal: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2013), 78 pp.

"This guidebook has been developed for use by professionals, policymakers and the research community involved in media development around the world. Its development was based on the UIS questionnaires on media statistics (see Appendices II, III and ... more

Reporting Atrocities: A Toolbox for Journalists Covering Violent Conflict and Atrocities Key Guidance

In the Service of the Public: Functions and Transformation of Media in Developing Countries Inspiring Practice

Reporting Atrocities: A Toolbox for Journalists Covering Violent Conflict and Atrocities
Key Guidance

In the Service of the Public: Functions and Transformation of Media in Developing Countries
Inspiring Practice