Document details

The Political Economy of Media Capture: What Influences Media Capture in Less Developed Countries (LDCs) and How Does This Present Opportunities and Challenges for Progress in Achieving Key Components of SDG 16?

London: London School of Economics (LSE), Capstone Project (2017), vii, 75 pp.
"In South Sudan, media capture, media market and audience segmentation are driven by: the ongoing civil conflict (since 2013), ethnic and linguistic divisions, a lack of rule of law, the legacy of clientelistic networks in the media and the government, a stark urban-rural divide, and a lack of infrastructure and funding that could support sustainable media development. In Tanzania, media capture, and media market and audience segmentation are driven by: the dominance of the CCM that enables the government to establish a legal framework to restrict freedom of the press, stark rural-urban and ZanzibarMainland divides, and a lack of local and community media in rural areas due to poor infrastructure and a lack of managerial skills. In Bangladesh, media capture, media market and audience segmentation are driven by: the political polarisation of the media and journalists’ unions between the dominant AL and BNP political parties, the combination of political polarisation and low journalistic professionalism preventing politically unbiased reporting, and connections between corporate media owners and political elites that lead to politically-motivated corporate media strategies. In South Africa, media capture, media market and audience segregations are driven by: the lack of sustainable funding available to independent media outlets, prohibitive costs limiting their readership to the economic elite, and the dominance of the (politically controlled) SABC as the only source of media catering to lower-income segments of the population." (Executive summary, page vi-vii)
1. INTRODUCTION, 1
2. DEFINITIONS, 4
Media Capture -- Media Development -- Good Governance -- Media Market
3. ANALYTICAL APPROACH, 7
4. COUNTRY CASE-STUDIES, 15
South Sudan, 16
Tanzania, 23
Bangladesh, 33
South Africa, 42
5. RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS, 51
Evaluating Media Freedom and Good Governance -- Facilitating Good Governance through the Media -- Media Capacity -- Socioeconomic Factors -- Demographic Factors -- Institutional Factors