The Drum Beat 832 - Selections from The CI's Media Development Network

• 1.Innovation for Dialogue: Creative Experiences to Encourage Participation
  by Santiago García Gago and David Olmos
• In a world where open public dialogue is facing many challenges, this publication by Deutsche Welle (DW) Akademie looks at how to strengthen participatory dialogue on issues of public interest. It does so by highlighting case studies from Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, and Guatemala that explore experimental, collaborative, and participatory communication and media development methodologies that increase the visibility of underrepresented topics and create opportunities for all voices to be heard. [Nov 2023]
   
• 2.Compilation of Briefing Papers on the Media Sector Development in Ethiopia
  by Abdissa Zeral, Elsabet Samuel Tadesse, Haron Mwangi, Teshager Shiferaw, and Tewodros Negash
• Produced by International Media Support, this compilation of briefing papers discusses the findings of various studies on the state of the media in Ethiopia and the achievements and lessons learned from the PRIMED programme. It looks at the media reform process in Ethiopia, coalition-building as a strategy to strengthen the media and ensure media freedom, the safety of journalists in a conflict-affected setting, and the role of conflict-sensitive journalism in Ethiopia. [Jul 2023]
   
• 3.The Potential of Community Radio in Fostering Economic Empowerment of Youths in The Cape Flats Communities
  by Joseph Olusegun Adebayo, Gqibile John Bulani, and Trust Matsilele
• Media development scholars have recognised community radio in South Africa as an essential component of the overall democratisation of communications that started in the 1990s in the wake of a crumbling Apartheid system. This study examines the role community radio plays in fostering the economic empowerment of young people in the Cape Flats of Cape Town, South Africa, using Bush Radio as a case study. For instance, Bush Radio has a rich history in skills training and employment for youth interested in community broadcasting. [Jun 2022]
   
• 4.The Role of Media: Driving Change Towards the SDGs
• Published by the Media Development Investment Fund, this brief explores the role of media in driving change towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It highlights research findings on the impact of the media on SDGs and shares examples from around the world that illustrate the relationship between media and the SDGs. For example, related to SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, the report cites an example from Montenegro, where the national station TV Vijesti broadcast a video showing footage of two officials asking for and accepting bribes to ease the building permit process, which resulted in the resignation of the responsible government minister. [Sep 2022]
   
• 5.Guidelines for the Governance of Digital Platforms: Safeguarding Freedom of Expression and Access to Information Through a Multistakeholder Approach
• These guidelines outline a set of duties, responsibilities, and roles for multiple stakeholders to enable an environment where freedom of expression, access to information, diverse cultural content, and all other human rights are at the core of digital platforms' governance processes. Published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the guidelines were developed through a UNESCO-led multi-stakeholder consultation process that gathered more than 10,000 comments from 134 countries since September 2022. [Nov 2023]
   

• 6.The Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI)
• The JTI seeks to create a healthier information space that is based on an international standard for trustworthy journalism. Designed to address the proliferation of misinformation largely brought about by big tech platforms and to increase people's trust in news, the initiative is led by Reporters Without Borders in partnership with Agence France Presse, the European Broadcasting Union, and Global Forum for Media Development. The project has at its core a self-assessment process for media outlets that is based on a set of indicators for media trustworthiness that promote and reward compliance with professional norms and ethics. What makes the JTI different from other trust indicator projects is that it focuses on the process - the manufacturing level of journalism - and not on content, on a case-by-case basis.
   
• 7.Joining Forces: CSOs and Media for Accountability in Bangladesh
• The media landscape in Bangladesh is characterised by shrinking civil space and limited freedom of speech and access to information. In that context, this project is designed to strengthen the ability of civil society and media in Bangladesh to engage with each other as actors of good governance and development. The project focuses on strengthening collaboration between the two sectors through grant opportunities that encourage working in partnership and on capacity building to build institutional strength and viability. Launched in 2023, the 3-year project is being implemented by Free Press Unlimited (FPU) and ARTICLE 19 Bangladesh and South Asia.
   
• 8.iVerify Project - Sierra Leone
• Launched in Sierra Leone ahead of the country's June 2023 general elections, the iVerify platform sought to strengthen the national capacity to proactively identify and respond to misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech. The platform, which combines human skill and technology, was run by the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists and the Independent Radio Network, in partnership with BBC Media Action. The fact-checking initiative brought verified election-related news to the public, including through the broadcasting of the iVerify radio show, and incorporated training and radio programming to enhance media literacy in the country.
   
• 9.Migrantes de Otro Mundo [Migrants from Another World]
• Led by María Teresa Ronderos, founder and director of the Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism, this project involved a team of more than 40 journalists from over a dozen countries who collaborated to tell the untold story of migrants from Asia and Africa who travel through Latin America each year to reach the United States and Canada. One goal was to help audiences understand the phenomenon of migration as a global process that is about human stories, not just about numbers, isolated tragedies, or nationalist responses. The project, which involved data collection and storytelling, culminated in a website that maps the paths migrants take, the dangers they face, the political hurdles they must overcome, and the people who profit from trafficking.
   
• 10.Engaging Media and Minorities to Act for Peacebuilding (EMMAP) Project
• This project is designed to raise public awareness of the interconnections between conflict, migration, climate change, and minority exclusion in Ghana, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. It also seeks to improve media coverage of conflict dynamics by strengthening the capacity of journalists and journalism students to report sensitively about conflict and contribute to mediation, dialogue, and reconciliation through training, exchange opportunities, and round table discussions. The project, which was launched in March 2022 and ends in February 2024, is being implemented by the Minority Rights Group together with the Media Platform on Environment and Climate Change (Ghana), Networks for Social Justice (Senegal), and Media Reform Coordination Group (Sierra Leone).
   

• The ICA will hold its 74th Annual International Communication Association (ICA) Conference in Gold Coast, Australia, from June 20-24 (with virtual participation also). It is expected that approximately 4,000 communication researchers/practitioners will share, present, and discuss the latest research on key communication and development themes, such as: children, adolescents, and the media; communication and technology; communication history; communication law and policy; social change; mobile communication; and activism and social justice. Click here for details.
   

• 11.Guidelines for Monitoring Online Violence against Female Journalists
  by Prof. Julie Posetti, Dr. Diana Maynard, and Nabeelah Shabbir
• This tool has been produced to guide the monitoring and recording of online violations against female journalists in order to aid key responders in their efforts to prevent the escalation of online violence to offline harm. The tool presents a set of 15 research-derived indicators for online violence escalation, a gendered online violence typology, and examples of violations mapped to international codes and standards. It was commissioned by the Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Representative on Freedom of the Media and produced by researchers from the International Center for Journalists and the University of Sheffield. [Sep 2023]
   
• 12.Mapping Out Regional Consultations: A Practical Orientation to Organizing Consultations
  by Judith Liesenfeld and Miriam Küller
• This guide is designed to provide practical guidance on how to organise consultative processes in the field of media development with multiple stakeholders on a regional scale. It seeks to serve as a hands-on toolbox for organisations working to advance media freedom and is intended for international organisations carrying out consultations, as well as regional and local organisations that would like to do so. The guide is based on an approach first developed and implemented by DW Akademie and the Center for International Media Assistance. [Aug 2023]
   
• 13.Supporting Media Viability - Knowledge Exchange Webinars
• In this series of webinars, media practitioners from the Global South share experiences and initiatives that have helped their media outlets become more viable. Discussions cover different income streams and business models of media, access to (online) advertisement, the impact of big tech, and the way independent media are affected by the contexts in which they operate. One webinar featured Laura Daicz, manager of Mutante (Colombia), and Paula Miraglia, CEO of Nexo Jornal (Brazil), whose message was to keep true to the mission of the medium while reselling content. The webinars form part of the Supporting Media Viability project, which was co-implemented by FPU and the Economist Intelligence Unit and funded by UNESCO. [Nov 2021 - Jan 2022]
   
• 14.Exposing the Invisible - The Kit
• This kit is designed to be a guide to investigation, offering techniques and tools used by experienced investigators to collect and verify information, build evidence, and create a better understanding of issues without losing sight of ethical or safety considerations. It was developed by Exposing the Invisible, an initiative of Tactical Tech that seeks to inspire a new generation of people committed to transparency and accountability. [2019; expanded annually]
   
• 15.Turn the Mic Around: Conversations with Journalists and Technologists on the Frontlines
• Produced by Internews, this series of podcasts features conversations with journalists working on the front lines around the world. Interviews explore behind-the-scenes stories of journalists doing their work in challenging situations as they seek to deliver trustworthy information to communities that need it most. Topics address, for example, challenges in relation to gender, the environment, conflicts, elections, COVID-19 and health, and media viability. [2021-ongoing]
   

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