The proposed project will address the lack of science media associations and limited professional capacity of science media workers in the Balkan region. BASJ, a newly created regional journalists association, will promote online education and cooperation with other international and regional organizations and institutions in the Balkans. It will offer a 6-month online training course delivered through webinars and online lectures using BASJ's Science Media Network platform. The course will upgrade the skills of 20 journalism trainers, enabling them to teach new media competencies. The...

The Ethiopian media is a very recent phenomenon, mainly consisting of state-controlled radio and television. Addis Ababa City Administration Community Media (FM 96.3) is one of the few community radio stations in the country. It serves 1.5 million people across a 105 km radius, providing 18 hours of daily transmission in Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia. However, its journalists lack professional skills.
 
The proposed project aims to address this gap by training volunteer journalists, reporters, editors and technicians at FM 96.3 to be able to produce high quality...

Fesmedia Africa's 2010 media barometer reveals that the journalism training at the University of Antananarivo does not include refresher programmes even though graduating students experience difficulties due to pedagogical shortcomings and gaps in the content of the initial training programmes. Furthermore, among the media professionals, the vast majority (more than 700) are trained on the job. One consequence of this is the plethora of articles based on sensationalism and a dull report of facts. This project aims to strengthen the capacity of a national pool of instructors from 6 public...

Although China’s media sector has grown explosively over the past few years, the legal framework under which the media operates remains underdeveloped. It is therefore essential to pay more attention to the development of China’s legal framework for media and freedom of expression.
 

In 2013, a round of the annual Price Media Law Moot Court Competition was successfully held in China. Established in 2008, this Programme aims to foster interest in, and informed debate about, international law governing freedom of expression issues. It serves as a training exercise, requiring...

Although Mongolia has a plethora of media outlets (more than 400), few are community-owned and run. The internationally-accepted concept of community media is not recognized under Mongolian law and no spectrum is reserved for community broadcasters. It was only between 2011 and 2012 that the first ten self-defined community radios were established (thanks to a UNESCO project). However, a complex license application process hinders spontaneous community initiatives, which may prevent the further growth of community media in Mongolia. Furthermore, most community media outlets are registered...

Although the media in Rwanda is developing fast, professional standards and product quality are not. Journalists lack the training required to carry out investigative journalism and instead focus on topics such as entertainment, sports and event reporting. A 2013 report by the Media High Council of Rwanda (MHC) highlighted journalists' overreliance on the voices of leaders (49%) to the detriment of other citizens (10%), in particular the police (6%) and other anti-corruption/crime bodies (3%). As such, one of the report's recommendations is for media practitioners to be trained in...

The Maroons, a group residing in Jamaica’s Accompong State, face development challenges concerning education and the dissemination of cultural heritage. The establishment of a community media outlet could address these challenges, although this has not been possible due to a lack of adequate financial and human capital. This project therefore seeks to launch a sustainable community radio station in Accompong that will allow residents to formally capture and share their cultural heritage.
 

The level of media development in Puntland, Somalia is low due to lack of resources and expertise as well as decades of war. Puntland State University (PSU) is committed to filling this gap and is ready to operationalize its Campus Radio Station. It has established a Media Training and Resource Centre, attained government permission for the radio station and, in 2011, equipment was procured by UNESCO. The station will cover community issues including, governance, rule of law, youth unemployment, environmental conservation, the plight of IDPs, piracy, FGM/C, terrorism and HIV/AIDS.

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The impact of years of conflict is still evident in nearly every aspect of South Sudanese society. Although great efforts are underway to promote peace, security, reconstruction and development, these processes will be difficult without the establishment of a free media to create an atmosphere of peaceful co-existence and to institutionalize a culture of democracy. In particular, serious issues exist concerning the safety of journalists and media professionals and the impunity of those committing such crimes. Despite a constitution that guarantees press freedom, many journalists have been...