Thursday 25 February 2010

[creative-radio] Media for Development in Africa

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: The Soul Beat <soulbeat@comminit.com>
Date: 24 February 2010 03:21
Subject: The Soul Beat Issue 147: Media for Development in Africa


The Soul Beat Issue 147: Media for Development in Africa
February 24 2010


From SOUL BEAT AFRICA - where communication and media are central to
AFRICA's social and economic development

In this issue of The Soul Beat:

* Assessing and Monitoring MEDIA DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA
* Promoting GENDER EQUALITY in the Media
* Poll on CHILD PARTICIPATION IN RADIO
* The role of the media in PROMOTING DEMOCRACY
* HANDBOOKS AND MANUALS for the media
* JOURNALISM AWARDS for media

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This issue of The Soul Beat focuses on the role of media for development in
Africa. It provides a selection of programme experiences and strategic
thinking documents that look specifically at issues related to developing
media systems in Africa, as well as at the role of the media in promoting
gender equality, democracy, and economic development. It also offers a
selection of toolkits and handbooks for the media, as well as some
development related journalism awards.


If you would like your organisation's communication work or research and
resource documents to be featured on the Soul Beat Africa website and in The
Soul Beat newsletters, please contact soulbeat@comminit.com


===


Access this issue online at
http://www.comminit.com/en/africa/soul-beat-147.html
Subscribe to The Soul Beat: http://www.comminit.com/en/user/register/38

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MEASURING MEDIA DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA


1. Media Sustainability Index 2008: The Development of Sustainable Media in
Africa
Edited by Leon Morse
The 2008 Africa Media Sustainability Index (MSI) is the second such study of
the region published by the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX).
The MSI is designed to provide an analysis of the media environment in 40
countries of Sub-Saharan Africa during 2008, with the hope of allowing
policymakers and implementers to analyse media systems and determine the
areas in which media development assistance can improve citizens' access to
news and information. The MSI also provides information for the media and
media advocates in each country and region, reflecting what the authors
consider expert opinions of media professionals in each country.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/307361/38


2. African Media Barometer (AMB) - Africa
The African Media Barometer (AMB) is designed to be an in-depth and
comprehensive description and measurement system for national media
environments on the African continent. Developed and co-owned by the German
foundation Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) and the Media Institute of
Southern Africa (MISA), the AMB uses self-assessment based on African
standards and a guided discussion among African experts to analyse the media
landscape in a given country. The objective of the AMB is to assess the
media landscape of a country over time to provide civil society with a
strategic advocacy tool for media reform.
Contact fesmedia@fesmedia.org OR zoe@misa.org AND director@misa.org
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/309919/38


3. Media Development Indicators: A Framework for Assessing Media Development
2008
This paper has been prepared in order to define indicators of media
development in line with the priority areas of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's International Programme
for the Development of Communication (IPDC): promotion of freedom of
expression and media pluralism; development of community media; and human
resource development (capacity building of media professionals and
institutional capacity building). This set of indicators is designed for
analysing the main aspects of the media ecology. It defines a framework
within which media can best contribute to, and benefit from, good governance
and democratic participation. The indicators are intended to enable
stakeholders concerned with media development, and in particular local
actors, to assess the state of the media within a given national context and
identify the main gaps. They can thus serve as an instrument to guide the
formulation of media-related policies and target developm!
ent assistance efforts in this area.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/283850/38


4. Measuring Change: Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in Media and
Development Cooperations
Edited by A. Sofie Jannusch
This document, published in 2007, summarises the proceedings of the
symposium "Measuring Change: Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation in Media
Development" which focused on the utilisation aspect of evaluation in media
development, including an emphasis on learning from monitoring and
evaluation (M&E) experiences, to facilitate the improvement of existing
projects and programmes at all levels, from planning to implementation and
follow-up.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/305815/38


5. How to Assess Your Media Landscape
by Fackson Banda and Guy Berger
Commissioned by the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD), this report
from 2009 surveys some of the instruments available for assessing media
development. It sets out advice around clarifying the purpose and focus of
assessment, and how this impacts upon the issues around choosing, creating,
and using tools for assessing some aspect of the media landscape.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/283100/38


GENDER EQUALITY IN THE MEDIA


6. Glass Ceilings: Women and Men in Southern African Media
Edited by Colleen Lowe Morna and Pat Made
The Glass Ceilings study is an audit of women and men in Southern African
media houses. Spanning 14 countries over a year starting in July 2008,
Gender Links (GL) conducted the study in partnership with a network of
researchers, gender and media activists, and partners in the Gender and
Media Southern Africa (GEMSA) network as well as the Gender and Media
Diversity Centre (GMDC). The study presents findings from 126 media houses.
The study, which was published in 2009, found that, by and large, Southern
African media is still dominated by men.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/308924/38


7. Roadmap to Equality: Voices and Views Radio Programmes
This 10-part series of radio reports, produced in 2009, addresses issues
related to gender equality in Southern Africa, focusing on the SADC Protocol
on Gender and Development. The series covers such issues as governance,
gender budgets, gender violence, media, and education. The SADC Protocol
Alliance produced these radio resources as part of their campaign around the
SADC Protocol on Gender which is designed to encourage local action for
ratification of the Protocol and to advocate for countries who have not
signed to do so. Designed for use by presenters as discussion starters and
launching points for talk show and call in programmes, the series and
accompanying presenter's guide are designed to provide regional perspectives
that can be adapted to local contexts.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/307095/38


See Toolkits and Manuals related to Gender below.


===


PLEASE VOTE IN OUR POLL ON CHILD PARTICIPATION IN RADIO

How do you rate the success of current efforts to give children access to
the radio airwaves in Africa?

Options:
* Good – most radio stations have at least one programme that is produced by
children.
* Improving – the amount of radio stations that are accommodating
child-driven programming is increasing.
* Bad – it is very rare for radio stations to have programmes run by
children.

To vote and send comments go to
http://www.comminit.com/en/africa/community-radio and see the Top Right side
of the page.


===


PROMOTING DEMOCRACY & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT


8. Africa Means Business - Africa
This pan-African media initiative was developed with local and international
partners including Nairobi's African Economic Research Consortium (AERC),
the African Media Initiative (AMI), the Centre for the Study of African
Economies (CSAE) at the University of Oxford, the Financial Times associated
Wincott Foundation, and the Thomson Foundation. According to the organisers,
the project will establish up to four Africa Means Business Hubs located
within media institutions (broadcast or print) or within existing journalism
schools. Each will coordinate the development of finance, economic, and
business coverage across the continent by building the capacity of
economists to communicate information and the capacity of journalists to
report on the economy, finance, and business issues.
Contact Janet Boston JanetB@thomsonfoundation.org OR Paddy Coulter
paddy.coulter@oxfordglobalmedia.com
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/309032/38


9. Independent Voices: Radio's Role in Democracy and Development
According to the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA), free
media play an integral role in fostering democracy and development and have
the ability to transform a number of critical areas, including government
accountability, empowerment of women and minorities, and education. At a
CIMA meeting in 2009, the "Developing Radio Partners" spoke about their
projects and speakers examined radio's role as a communication tool in
promoting democracy and explored the following questions: How does radio
play a fundamental role in democracy and development? How can civil society
organisations tap into its potential more effectively?
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/303032/38


10. Media Pluralism, Democratic Discourses and Political Accountability in
Africa
By Wisdom J. Tettey
This document from 2008 is part of the publication of papers for a
conference on "The Role of the News Media in the Governance Reform Agenda".
Its purpose is to describe the media landscape of the previous two decades
on the African continent. The document explores the extent to which Africa's
media have been able to achieve a balance between increased access to
information and political pluralism and the danger of reinforcing the
influence and protecting the interests of powerful elements in society to
the neglect of the less powerful.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/280886/38


11. African Media and Investment
This report from 2009, commissioned by Diageo, a private drinks company,
explores the link between business, media, and capital investment in Africa.
Thirty-six investors with a total of around US$20 billion under management
in Africa provided their views about African business media and how it
informs their investment decisions. In addition, insight was also collected
from senior business people whose businesses have a large footprint in
Africa, and eight media houses including Reuters, BBC, Al-Jazeera, and the
Economist. The report suggests that during the economic recession, marked by
negative economic news on a global scale, the onus should be on African
business media to report accurately the real changes taking place on the
continent – high growth rates, increased capitalisation, and liquidity. The
study makes the point that African business media both reflects and dictates
investor sentiment and that to neglect the reporting of this news will
greatly impact perception!
s about the continent and investment flows.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/310505/38


===


PLEASE SEND US YOUR COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS

Please let us know what you think of Soul Beat Africa by going to
http://www.comminit.com/en/africa/comments.html or email
soulbeat@comminit.com

To read what other people have said about Soul Beat Africa go to
http://www.comminit.com/en/africa/comments_aboutus.html

===


TOOLKITS AND HANDBOOKS FOR THE MEDIA


12. Civic Education for Media Professionals: A Training Manual
By Fackson Banda
As part of its efforts to strengthen the capacities of media professionals
in developing countries, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has published this training manual, which
looks at the relationship between media functions and active citizenship.
The manual, which was published in 2009, focuses on the underlying nexus of
democracy, development, and the media based on the fundamental principles of
democracy and human rights. It recommends participatory, student-centred
training techniques, and proposes a number of exercises aimed at stimulating
student reflection and pointers for investigation designed to prod media
interest in particular civic issues.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/299872/38


13. Getting the Balance Right: Gender Equality in Journalism
This handbook, published by the International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) in 2009, is written to give added argument and dynamism to gender
equality campaigns that the IFJ believes should be taken up in every
newsroom to fight against discrimination and champion journalistic
standards. The handbook is an illustrated guide and resource for journalists
to equip them with information for an understanding of gender issues in
their work. It is designed for media organisations, professional
associations, and journalists' unions seeking to contribute to the goal of
gender equality.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/304420/38


14. Reporting Gender Based Violence: A Handbook for Journalists
Published by Inter Press Service (IPS) Africa in 2009, this handbook for
reporters is designed to encourage and support sustained media coverage of
gender-based violence (GBV) beyond the annual 16 Days of No Violence Against
Women and Children. The handbook is divided into twelve sections which each
include an overview of a key issue, some facts and statistics, and a sample
feature article to provide an example of best practice and/or what to
consider when writing about GBV.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/308807/38


15. Contemporary Issues in South Africa Toolkit: A Toolkit for Journalists
by Tanya Farber
This book, published by Open Society Foundation (OSF) in 2009, is meant to
inspire journalists to generate high quality media content on a range of
crucial topics that are part of South African society and to enhance
journalistic story research. The book covers eight different topics
including economic recession, economic poverty, food security, water issues,
rural issues, xenophobia, gender issues, and children's issues. According to
the publishers, these chapters are not intended to provide reporters with
in-depth information on any single topic, but rather are designed to provide
building blocks on a variety of themes and to assist journalists in seeing
each story they tackle through a variety of "lenses".
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/307743/38


16. HIV/AIDS Reporting Manual
This guide, published by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) in 2009, has
been designed for journalists who are covering the global HIV/AIDS epidemic
for the first time and for those who have covered it previously. The
material in this edition covers a broad range of subjects, including the
challenges of reporting on HIV/AIDS, treatment and prevention strategies,
key figures in the struggle against HIV/AIDS, and global efforts to finance
the campaign against HIV/AIDS. Information is included about the political
and social aspects of the epidemic intended to provide journalists with
guidance about navigating these issues.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/305065/38


17. Investigative Journalism Manuals
by Gwen Ansell
The Investigative Journalism Manuals, conceptualised and produced by the
Forum for African Investigative Reporters (FAIR) in partnership with the
University of the Witwatersrand and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, include
strategies, tactics, techniques, and methodologies designed to enable
journalists to dig deeper, unearth more truth, and expose as much injustice
as possible. The manuals, which were published in 2009, consist of eight
downloadable PDF chapters and are designed for practical use as self-study
guides that can be reviewed by chapter, depending on what kind of advice and
tips one is looking for in a specific situation. The manuals may also be
used by trainers and include trainers' notes.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/306802/38


18. A Touchpad to our Future: An Election Resource for Journalists
This document, published by the Open Society Foundation for South Africa in
preparation for the 2009 national and provincial elections, is an
empowerment and information guide for community or mainstream journalists
from the print, broadcast or on-line media. It aims to build journalist's
capacity to effectively prepare for, monitor, and report on the 2009
elections, while also educating voters on elections and democracy.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/303383/38


AWARDS FOR MEDIA
For more awards go to http://www.comminit.com/en/africa/awards.html


19. IWMF Journalism Awards
Deadline: March 5 2010
The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) seeks nominations from
around the world for its Courage in Journalism Awards and Lifetime
Achievement Award. These awards honour women working in the news media who
have demonstrated extraordinary strength of character in pursuing their
profession under difficult or dangerous circumstances.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/266238/38


20. Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards 2010
Deadline: March 26 2010
The Diageo Africa Business Reporting Awards recognise journalists from
around the world who have excelled in reporting accurate and unbiased
information about Africa and have helped shape opinions and created an
enabling environment for business in the region to succeed. The awards are
designed to encourage more prolific business journalism within Africa in a
drive to increase the continent's share of voice in the international media.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/269126/38


21. WASH Media Awards
Deadline: April 1 2010
The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) and the
Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) are inviting entries in the
third WASH Media Awards competition. The competition is open to journalists
in developing and developed countries who publish or broadcast original
investigative reports on issues relating to water supply, sanitation, or
hygiene (WASH) in their countries.
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/265027/38

===


Related previous issues of The Soul Beat include:

The Soul Beat 105 - The Role of Journalism in Development
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/269237/38

The Soul Beat 88 - Media Development in Africa: POLIS
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/264067/38

The Soul Beat 61 - Media and Development in Africa
http://www.comminit.com/en/node/264040/38

To view all archived editions of The Soul Beat Newsletter see
http://www.comminit.com/africa/soul-beat-archives.html

===
Please send material for The Soul Beat to soulbeat@comminit.com
To subscribe, see http://www.comminit.com/en/africa/soul-beat-subscribe.html


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