Media repression is rising in some countries in the Pacific, as journalists seeks ways to work together to promote quality journalism and democratic media development. This project will work with journalists and media workers in three countries in the region in order to advance reform and produce examples of best practice to positively influence the rest of the region. Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands have been chosen because of the existing or emerging strength of their national media associations and/or their potential for maximum project impact.
The...
IPDC project priority: Promoting Freedom of Expression and Media Pluralism
Myanmar was once described as the site of “one of Asia’s—if not the world’s—longest ethnic-based conflict since the country’s independence in 1948”. There are 135 distinct ethnic groups throughout the country, and recent studies have cited media as a “driver of conflict” due to inaccurate reporting, misinformation, bias and preference for conflict stories.
News media could play a key role in informing and educating different ethnic groups about their commonalities and differences, leading to greater understanding and tolerance. Dialogue between media practitioners, bloggers...
The aim of this project is to promote the gender approach in order to contribute to the creation of an environment that is conducive to freedom of expression among women and radio broadcasters for more widespread popularisation of the culture of equality. One hundred and five external presenters and producers from 70 RIF-member radios stations will be trained in the concepts of gender, climate change and food security. After the training sessions, 70 programmes on climate change and food security will be produced, with the concept of gender as the overarching theme. The programmes will be...
Gender equality is one of the greatest challenges facing journalists in Thailand. According to the Global Report on the Status of Women in the News Media (2011), women are underrepresented in most management and newsgathering positions in the Asia Pacific, with women holding just 13% of senior management positions. Women’s salaries are generally lower and qualified women face a glass ceiling due to factors such as institutionalized prejudices.
This project will apply the Gender-Sensitive Indicators for Media (GSIM) to Thai PBS in order to encourage Thai PBS - and...
The aim of this project is to allow the female citizens of Ouakam to acquire critical capacity in matters relating to the media, with the aim of strengthening their civic engagement, notably by strengthening their capacity to produce citizen information. At the end of the course, the young women of Ouakam will have acquired expertise and strong skills in issues relating to media literacy and information. They will be able to better evaluate the role of the EMI in strengthening participatory democracy and socio-economic development. This project aims to allow the female citizens of Ouakam...
In the last 20 years, Vietnam’s media landscape has expanded rapidly in terms of platforms, publications, journalists and audience. The media’s role as a government watchdog has increased and it now plays an important role in the fight against corruption. However, despite laws purportedly protecting the freedoms of speech and of the media, journalists cannot work safely and independently without fear of being threatened or even killed.
This project aims to promote the safety of journalists by developing:
(i) a so-called Guidelines for Peer Assistance for the Safety of...
The aim of the project is to strengthen the professional capacity of the community-radio journalists and broadcast presenters involved in collecting, processing and disseminating radio information; it seeks to strengthen the institutional framework of community radio stations by providing a solid basis for their independence, and thereby contributing towards the promotion of freedom of expression, the pluralism of ideas, and the diversity and quality of information provided to local communities.
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...
Since gaining independence in the 1990s, Tanzania’s media sector has grown rapidly and it is now one of the most developed in the region. However, women are largely absent as media owners. Private media houses, which comprise the bulk of media houses in Tanzania, are owned almost exclusively by men. The proposed project therefore seeks to help Tanzania reach its commitment to gender equality in and through media. The UNESCO Gender Sensitive Indicators for Media would be used to assess the level of gender mainstreaming in 14 community radios in Tanzania. The findings would then be used to...
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...