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Making the Case for Media’s Impact on Demo...
Those working in the media development field may often take for granted the idea that independent media, and its counterpart, access to information, are essential to a free and open society. The burden of proof falls upon us to show the impact of media on development issues like good governance, and... |
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The Global Transition to Digital TV Broadcasting
This year marks a deadline for a global agreement to transition from the obsolescent analog technology to digital broadcasting for television. Though the deadline is self-imposed, with no formal sanctions if it is missed, it marks a possible turning point for many countries’ media development. ... |
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The Role of Audience Research in Independent Med...
“Know your audience” is the basic tenet of any communicator—and newsrooms are no different. In fact, a failure to understand their audiences will certainly lead to a news organization’s failure; either failure to report on facts and events relevant to their communities, or failure to keep an... |
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Youth in Media Development
Whether ‘youth’ is defined in more concrete terms according to age, or more fluidly according to life stage, the voices of this demographic are often overlooked in conversations about the global digital divide and media literacy. While youth are some of the most vulnerable and marginalized peo... |
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UN Secretary General Calls for Media in Post-201...
The campaign for media and access to information’s inclusion in the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals gained a new advocate last week in UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, who reaffirmed their importance in a synthesis report for the SDGs. The report, noting the evolving information needs of ... |
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Linguistic Diversity in Online Media
When we think of the digital divide, we usually think of the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots.’ However, this is just one component of the problem. Closing the digital divide also requires us to think about the content of the Internet. According to a July 2014 article from the Internet Society, ... |
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Community Radio for Development in Somalia
Media development can be tricky in a place like Somalia. Arbitrary arrests of journalists, raids and closures of radio stations, and threats of violence against journalists, including from al-Shabaab militants, are commonplace. The lack of a legal environment in which a free press and free expr... |
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Information becoming toughest commodity to get i...
With their country’s economy in crisis, Venezuelans are facing shortages of just about everything – milk, flour, toilet paper, cooking oil–and information. The Venezuelan government’s “communications hegemony is silencing the media and journalists,” said Sergio Dahbar, the former editor ... |
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Political support key for media in Myanmar
Over the past two years, the euphoria surrounding the rebirth of independent media in Myanmar has given way to increasing concern in light of high profile setbacks, including the arrest and harsh sentencing of prominent journalists and the passage of controversial new media laws. It is unclear if th... |
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MDIF’s Impact Dashboard: A Case Study in Measu...
When it comes to measuring success or failure, media developers face many of the same challenges as the rest of the international development community. Do you measure inputs, such as the amount of money that is invested in media development initiatives? Or do you track outcomes from projects—the ... |