Despite being accounted for within its Constitution, there is an overall need to address the issues of freedom of expression and freedom of information in Tanzania today. This is of particular concern among the rural population whom, as a result of low literacy levels, are more prone to fall victim to the commercial interests of the majority of media owners. More needs to be done to cater to the information needs of the Tanzanian population, particularly in terms of providing information on social and political matters. Tanzania's Kahama District is one such example of an area where access...
IPDC Project beneficiary type: Civil society organizations
The Malian media sector has undergone significant liberalization and development following the advent of democracy in 1991, with the country boasting some 241 private radio stations in 2010, according to a survey conducted by the media union, URTEL. However in spite of this apparently vibrant media environment, radio coverage is unevenly distributed across the country, with some communities continuing to be deprived of their right to access media and information sources. One such example is the rural commune of Sirakoro, which currently has no local radio, and only sporadic reception of...
Madagascar enjoys a diverse and pluralized media landscape which in recent times has been dominated by radio. There are currently around 300 public and privately owned radio stations, providing a space where different voices and viewpoints can be heard. Unfortunately however, the professionalism of local radio stations is compromised by a severe lack of trained personnel, with the majority of radio journalists being trained on-the-job and deprived of any formal professional training. This project will attempt to help remedy the situation by providing training in all aspects of radio...
Although the war has now ended in many parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Sud-Kivu province continues to endure confrontation between rival groups, with women and young people among the main victims subjected to rape, mutilation and other acts of extreme violence. The absence of community media combined with the expense of other forms of media in this area mean that many of its largely impoverished inhabitants do not have access to information. This project aims to give a voice to these individuals by setting up a radio station capable of serving thirteen villages...
Media has the capacity to help citizens play an active role in the development of democracy and in recent years, citizen journalism and blogging have emerged as potential key players in enhancing this process. This can be illustrated by the success of the first and only Palestinian blog portal launched by the AMIN Media Network in 2007. Results of a recent poll revealed that many journalists regard their blog on AMIN as being the only media platform where they can truly exercise freedom of expression and publish articles about certain sensitive issues, since the Palestinian media outlets...
Media is a powerful tool in promoting peace-building activities by challenging misperceptions and promoting tolerance, collaboration and reconciliation between conflicting parties across all levels of society. Following the collapse of the Former Regime, Iraq has seen the emergence of a vibrant new media community which in recent years has played a highly active role in the conflict. However, many of its media outlets are owned by political parties and have been used as propaganda tools in an attempt to advance the parties' own agendas, whilst other independent outlets have received...
In the early 1980s and during the civil war, Lebanon saw rapid development of its radio, television and print media in both the public and private sector. Since this time however, no effort has been made to establish a national code of ethics to serve as a guideline for journalistic work. Media institutions in the country today are largely owned by or affiliated with political parties, and the absence of a code of ethics means that journalists are not protected and do not have freedom of expression. In the past decade, two initiatives of codes of ethics have been proposed by private...
In an environment where many working journalists lack specialist training and knowledge, and where many societal groups are not given a voice in the context of media, there is increased pressure on the academic world to bring about change to this negative situation in the MENA region through the delivery of quality journalism education at university level. Academic courses have the means to expose journalism students to the need for increased diversity in reporting, and a wider reflection of voices from social groups which are currently underrepresented in the media. The Media Diversity...
Community media in Haiti is forced to contend with lack of funding, lack of equipment, and lack of training. In recent years, great progress has been made by the SAKS Foundation in tackling these issues in the creation of community radio stations and Community Multimedia Centres (CMCs). These provide an essential means for local community members to exercise freedom of expression, learn remotely, and develop opportunities for research, multicultural activity and communication. The devastating effects of the 2010 earthquake severely impinged these development attempts, but this project aims...
A recent study conducted by the civil-society media observation group 'Fundamedios' revealed that journalism in Ecuador is practiced in a hostile environment, with frequent risk of physical aggression, destruction of equipment, and prosecution for cases of defamation, all of which contributes to an overall lack of freedom of expression and poor access to information. For this reason, it is necessary for journalists to learn how to defend and enforce their rights within the national legal framework, and to be made aware of the international mechanisms which protect and promote human rights...
Pages
