"The thirteen significant case studies presented here examine the challenges faced by media practitioners reporting on conflicts across the diverse media ecologies of Asia. Significant themes covered include: how media culture affects the way conflict is covered, including aspects such as resource l
...
imitations, different standards of professionalism, government intervention, and the degree of importance given to the concept of independent media; how media bias can be aggravated by competing demands of various ethnics, religious and political groups and how bias among journalists can contribute to spiralling violence; how journalist can face an 'identity barrier' in terms of access to news and sources; and, how the media can be affected by poor working conditions, pay, training and recognition, and a lack of physical or financial security. The chapters provide a valuable range of perspectives on reporting about conflicts within Asia." (Publisher descrition)
more
"This book is the result of a research project covering eight countries in South and South East Asia examining the role and impact of alternative media. The definition of alternative media depends very much on the political, social, cultural and economic environment you live in. Thus, this book give
...
s the reader an idea of the diversity of alternative media sources available across Asia, which is very much a result of the different media regulatory regimes in the countries we have included in this study. While Bangladesh has had alternative media, in the form of community theatre and other artistic expressions for a long time, yet, community radio, which is fast becoming one of the most effective forms of alternative media in Asia, is slow to take off, because the regulations still do not allow it. Meanwhile in Indonesia and Thailand, community radio has taken off rapidly, with regulators struggling to come up with a formula to help regulate the sector while not shutting it down. In the Philippine community radio has existed legally for many years and is thriving, thus, there may be lessons others can learn from this experience. In Malaysia, where legislation tightly controls the establishment of media outlets, there are yet, some interesting examples of how alternative media could be effectively operated via the Internet. Sri Lanka, offers an interesting model where elements of community broadcasting could exist within a public service broadcaster. Thus, this book, gives you interesting examples from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand of how people are getting their voices heard - or are struggling to make that happen - using a variety of media and methods of expression." (Publisher description)
more
"Discussions on how to support sustainability of independent media generally focus on the political conditions, the legal framework and – especially in German development cooperation – on the quality of journalistic coverage. Nevertheless, economic factors are of equal importance, not only for p
...
ure survival but also with respect to editorial independence and the resources available to enhance or guarantee the quality of media outlets. The German Forum Medien und Entwicklung (Media and Development) highlighted in its annual international Symposium, “Money Matters – How independent media manage to survive”, two dimensions marking economic sustainability: factors constituting a restricting or enabling media environment; factors supporting the business management of media in their endeavour to become self-sustainable." (Executive summary, page 5)
more
"Our 21 contributors -– most of them from Asia, and representing media, development or humanitarian sectors -- do not engage in mere theoretical discussions. In 19 chapters of this book, they draw on their rich and varied experience working in either preparing disaster resilient communities or res
...
ponding to humanitarian emergencies triggered by specific disasters. Some are journalists who have reported on disasters from the 'ground zero'; others are aid workers, public information officials or development professionals who have been at the forefront in emergency responses or are engaged in disaster risk reduction. Diverse as their backgrounds and experiences are, our contributors share a belief in the central role that communication can play before, during and after disasters occur. Within this, they offer a kaleidoscope of perspectives as well as a great deal of practical advice on how to communicate hazards and disasters at inter-personal, inter-agency, inter-sector and public levels. The tools, technologies and methods may vary, but there is a broad consensus that to be effective, communication needs to be two-way, inclusive, participatory and sustained over time. It is not an 'add on' to other development interventions, but an integral component in its own right." (Page 3)
more
"This paper discusses the ways in which efforts aimed at democratising the media system and empowering communities in Indonesia in three discursive periods (the 1998 "Revolution Movement," the "Reform Era" follow-up, and the 2002 Broadcasting Act up till the present time) have ebbed and flowed. The
...
main result of the changing winds so far has been the liberalisation of the market, in line with global media trends. The Government has tried to frustrate the prospects of community media. Hence, the current development of community radio in the country remains stagnant, the main challenge being to create a more visible position in the media landscape, which in turn may bring about a more supportive stance in the government's policies. Our tour d'horizon of the state of affairs of community radio, its complementary status to the mainstream national media scene, and the assessment of current needs are based upon empirical evidence gathered in the Manado and Jogyakarta areas. Departing from the different dynamics of these two cases, weaknesses and critical success factors will be assessed, taking into account the different backgrounds of the regions, radio practitioners as well as their audiences in terms of religion, ethnicity, and life styles."
more
"Wer sich heute auf eine Reise in die malaiische Welt (Indonesien, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam) begibt, wird beobachten, dass sich das Angebot in den Buchhandlungen von Land zu Land zum Teil erheblich unterscheidet. In Indonesien etwa, das mit seinen zur Zeit etwa 230 Millionen Einwohnern fast 90% d
...
er malaiischen Welt ausmacht, scheinen Bücher mit islamischen Themen besonders populär zu sein."
more
"The first part sets out the four key concepts of literacy (as skills, tasks, social practices, and critical reflection), and describes associated approaches used throughout the world. The second half covers preparation and planning, offering practical guides for each key element of literacy-program
...
me development. Using case studies from literacy programmes in many countries including Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mali, Nigeria, the Philippines, and Uganda, the authors demonstrate the importance of literacy and its power to improve lives. They also show that the role literacy plays in social and economic development is not a simple one, and literacy is never a quick-fix solution." (Oxfam website)
more
"This paper presents preliminary findings from a multi-sited qualitative study of poverty and information and communication technologies (ICTs) in India, Indonesia Sri Lanka and Nepal. It draws upon data gathered by 12 ethnographic action researchers working across 15 community ICT initiatives. Thes
...
e local, 'embedded researchers' are part of a larger international project called Finding a Voice: Making Technological Change Socially Effective and Culturally Empowering, which includes UNESCO (South Asia) and UNDP (Indonesia), in partnership with Queensland University of Technology, the University of Adelaide and Australian Research Council, along with numerous local and regional organisations." (Introduction)
more
"Long before the descriptor “citizen journalism” became a topic of research interest in academia, Indonesia’s Radio Elshinta (www.elshinta.com) in Jakarta had already opened its airwaves for listeners, most with no formal journalism training, to call in their stories. This paper contextualises
...
Elshinta’s experience with Asia’s top online citizen media portal Ohmynews (english.ohmynews.com) in South Korea to identify their common and divergent characteristics. The case study is complemented by interviews with journalists from Elshinta and Ohmynews. The study concludes that despite relatively unreliable access to Internet facilities in Indonesia, the main catalysts for Elshinta’s engagement with its listeners are (a) the predominantly oral culture in Indonesia; (b) low literacy, thus their reliance on radio as the primary source of information and entertainment; and (d) the popularity of mobile phones for formal and informal communication. Indonesian television and newspapers, however, have been slow in catching up with people-initiated journalism because of (a) fear of losing its reputation and credibility, and thus its commercial base; and (b) conflict between unedited reports by untrained reporters with the professional practice standards and the Press Law. Other obstacles to people-initiated journalism in television and newspapers are the slow uptake of amateur handycam images by TV stations, poor Internet access, lack of writing skills and lack of interactivity in existing online news sites." (Abstract)
more
"This book is a review of 56 projects funded by the Pan-Asia ICT R&D Grants Programme for Asia-Pacific from 2002-2005. The aim of this book is to examine trends within these particular information and communications technology (ICT) projects in order to determine factors for success, and, common cha
...
llenges. The underlying goal is to understand which projects have a lasting impact and can be replicated on a larger scale [...] In general, the review and analysis show that projects of particular value are those that increase access to information, improve efficiency, and support participation in civil society and governance initiatives. A key factor of success is projects that embrace participation and include a consultative process in their design, planning and implementation phases. However, the research showed that building partnerships and reaching common understandings throughout the planning of these initiatives was a complex and challenging undertaking. The importance of dissemination and marketing of project results is a common thread throughout each of the projects in this book. Some projects with successfully completed research objectives could not progress further without substantial promotional efforts. The analysis in this book also points to a range of strategies in which projects can be expanded on a larger scale. For example, project models can grow by moving to new locations thereby gaining momentum elsewhere." (Foreword)
more
"This study breaks the downward communication challenge in post-tsunami Aceh and Sri Lanka into four main areas. The first looks at the nature of communication problems between organisations and communities. The second covers mass information campaigns, including an overview of the information chann
...
els in Aceh and Sri Lanka and how best to use them. The third section investigates complaints mechanisms, and, finally, the fourth section is a brief glance at what has been done to bridge information gaps in Aceh and Sri Lanka. Many organisations are still paying for mistakes made in communicating with communities in the early days of the tsunami recovery effort, resulting in what many call the “broken promises” phenomenon. The inherent problems of managing expectations were exacerbated by a widespread use of translators and jargon and the extreme levels of trauma experienced by beneficiaries. A number of organisations, however, have started to address these mistakes and build communications strategies into projects, developing models that potentially have wide application." (Executive summary)
more
"There are many different kinds of sub-national conflicts across Asia, with a variety of causes, but since September 11, 2001 these have been increasingly portrayed as part of the global terrorist threat, to be dealt with by the War on Terror. This major new study examines a wide range of such confl
...
icts, showing how, despite their significant differences, they share the role of the media as interlocutor, and exploring how the media exercises this role. The book raises a number of issues concerning how the media report different forms of political violence and conflict, including issues of impartiality in the media's relations with governments and insurgents, and how the focus on the 'War on Terror' has led to some forms of violence - notably those employed by states for political purposes - to be overlooked. As the issue of international terrorism remains one of the most pressing issues of the modern day, this is a significant and important book which will interest the general reader and scholars from all disciplines." (Publisher description)
more