The widespread access to Internet and to information and communication technology (ICT) today make possible the autonomous usage of resources for the creation, edition and publication of texts, videos and sounds of local and diverse content, fostering more than ever, an increase in the number of individuals, groups and communities producing and distributing their communication outlets in the digital world. In the specific context of Latin America and the Caribbean, these practices have a critical communicational value, especially regarding local and community radio. Relying on the high...
IPDC Project beneficiary type: Media training institutions
Intense politicization is the primary obstacle to improving professionalism standards in the Lebanese media industry. It mainly affects objectivity, the very conception of it by Lebanese journalists and their actual commitment to it. One such indicator is the fact that very few news outlets distinguish the difference between news and editorial desks. Fact-checking is another point of contention which causes imbalances in the ethics guiding this line of practice. Though very few subjects are off limits; “physical access to news events can be restricted according to the political leaning of...
The liberalization of the broadcasting and print media sector in Pakistan over the past two decades has led to an explosion in the number of circulating newspapers and magazines, with over 850 publications in circulation today. Historically this growth began in the main metropolitan centres, however the devolution of power to local governments across Pakistan has led to increased pressure on the media sector to mirror this change and provide support to district correspondents. At present this support is largely unavailable, with district correspondents often poorly educated, underpaid, and...
The media has the potential to raise public awareness on important issues such as climate change. At present however, its capacity is not being fully exercised. This is largely due to a lack of understanding of the subject matter on the part of media professionals, resulting in reports which are laden with technical terms and lacking explanation of how the issue of climate change impacts on people's daily lives. The problem is particularly relevant in Iran, given its hot, dry climate and heavy dependence on the agriculture sector where water is of critical importance. This project...
Latin America and the Caribbean is a very vulnerable region regarding the environment, which is mostly due to the large number of economically underdeveloped small insular states in the region. The urgency for development is contradictory to the care for the ecosystems that distinguishes this region, which generates several conflicts at the social scale. Frequently and unfortunately, the media and journalists do not have a specialty degree, particularly on environmental issues to reflect objectively those issues, playing their role of surveillance against impacts to the environment and to...
Attacks on the press in the sub-Andean region are adopting increasingly indirect modalities, which require a more complex, ample and precise monitoring than has been traditionally conducted. Part of this problem is related to the arbitrary enforcement of laws and regulations dealing with the press, radio and television, as well as the aggressive intervention of government officials, and other covert forms of harassment that are difficult to objectively report. It is important to point out that there is no adequate record of the trials against journalists and media organizations....
After the 2007 events and Hamas takeover, the security and political situation in the Gaza Strip has remained extremely volatile with serious consequences on the human rights situation. The restrictions on media freedom and freedom of expression have forced many talented journalists to leave Gaza, following threats and intimidations, closure of several media organisations, attacks and arrests of local media professionals. However, many journalists, bloggers and film-makers are committed to continue their work even under such difficult conditions, and proved to be the sole providers of...
Today, ISIC needs to improve and expand its course offering to meet the new challenges in an evolving media sector. It must respond to the needs of the emerging media outlet of online radio, by developing training programmes which take account of professional and technological requirements in this field. In this framework, ISIC intends to organize two training workshops for the lecturers and technicians in the Audiovisual Department of ISIC: one on online journalism techniques, and the second on the creation and development of an online radio station. This project finds its justification...
While community radios are protected by Uruguayan law, legislation is less supportive in Argentina, where community radios are not licensed in many provinces. Although freedom of press is formally guaranteed in both countries, media concentration and commercialization represent common threats to true participation and plurality. Vocational training for journalists and media professionals, especially in community radios, is crucial to consolidate democratization processes. This is especially important in the border region of Salto (Uruguay) and Concordia (Argentina), where strengthening of...
New media is developing as an alternative to news in the Dominican Republic as traditional media (three major newspapers and two free dailies) seems more and more committed to the statu quo. In a moment where governmental pressure is becoming permanent news in the region, at a time when the economic crisis is hitting the traditional media hard with palpable consequences on the quality of the reporting due to strained working conditions for journalists and other pressures by the economic powers that have a say in the journalistic agenda; today, when new media is becoming increasingly...
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