Why is the media important in development? This report from the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) is the result of a year-long collaboration between media development practitioners and social, political and communications scientists. It asks why media matters, how its impact can be measured, and considers the key challenges across the sector. It argues that independent media are integral to good governance and can also prevent exclusion. Donors must therefore engage with the media sector.
Media assistance aims to strengthen regional, national and local media to serve the public interest. Examples include support to regulatory reform, journalism training and media business management. It also covers support to community media, citizen journalism and media for sustainable development (on health and environmental issues, for example). It aims to ensure people have access to information and the opportunity to express opinions.
The inaugural GFMD in 2005 saw the first global gathering of the media assistance sector. It found a consensus on the need for the sector to argue more strongly for its place within international development.
- The information and communications economy has potential to contribute to social and political development. Lack of representation of voices from the developing world in global media can exacerbate problems such as terrorism.
- Young democracies face challenges in developing social norms and information flows between governments and citizens. The media can help ensure country ownership, inclusion and accountability.
- Measuring the impact of media on development outcomes is a challenge. Recent initiatives include the Media Sustainability Index (MSI), ‘toolkit’ approaches and plans to relate media sector influences to the World Bank’s six dimensions of governance.
- Other challenges within media development include its relationship with legal and administrative systems, democracy and governance. Conflict-prone environments and natural disaster zones pose particular problems. Issues of press freedom, financing and media independence are also important.
- Media development is a professional sector, present in all global regions and equipped with historical literature and mapping processes. However, more work is needed to build a full picture of the field.
The following are important considerations for the international development community:
- The new governance agenda: Independent media are integral to good governance. While media and press freedom indicators are being included in governance monitoring, media support needs to be mainstreamed more effectively.
- Media, governance and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): Growing evidence shows that independent media systems contribute to MDG achievement, but research on the impact of media on the poor needs strengthening.
- Counterbalance to extremism: Policy makers should increase support for media assistance programmes to widen access for moderate, balanced discourse. Donors should engage in media development in countries affected by extremism.
- Media and global issues: The lack of local media coverage of key issues affecting poor countries, such as climate change and global health, generates deficits in governance through public disengagement. This can be overcome through concerted media and communications strategies.
- Strategies for healthy media systems: These include support to media policy and legislation, the development of journalism associations, provision of capital, professional training and capacity of building of indigenous media assistance organisations.
