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A Citizen-based Media Model 'El Ciudadano'

Year when project approved: 
2008
Approved budget: 
US$20 900.00

'El Ciudadano' (Centro Cultural Ciudadanos en Acción), an innovative dual media enterprise, leads the fundamental change in the way the news are presented, created and produced by combining printed media with an Internet-based platform, and structures its development on local civil society management. 'El Ciudadano' and its dual media model offer multiple possibilities to give voice to the most marginalized groups through their own spaces that not only reflect the civil society's needs, achievements and interests, but also respects our cultural diversity. As such, 'El Ciudadano' can easily be duplicated on a national and regional level. Since the launch of 'El Ciudadano' in 2005, when a small group of young professionals decided to start a brand new printed media, our publication has played a crucial role in contributing to make the civil society more visible and establishing a self-sustained possibility for a new social proposal for local-based content. Considering the above, and in favour of a more equitable and integrated communication, El Ciudadano´s associates (composed by young professionals) act in semi-urban and rural areas, targeting the 'digital divide' through our own resources and training; it seems evident that nonmetropolitan communities are the hardest hit by the digital divide. The goal of this project is to continue promoting the democratisation of information and access to new media knowledge through professional training and income generation for their own media. The immediate objective is to sensitise local communities on the way to set up their own independent media and ensure that local issues are fully integrated into their communications practices within the framework of human rights, including the right to privacy and confidentiality, freedom of expression and opinion and freedom from discrimination and violence, among other human rights. To satisfy the development objective, 'El Ciudadano' offers several possibilities to give voice to the most marginalized groups through their own communication space, that does not only reflect the civil society's needs, achievements, and interests, but also respects the cultural diversity.

Project details
IPDC Bureau meeting nº: 
52

Implementation status :

Project evaluated:

Project scope:

IPDC Priority:

Budget
Budget code: 
354-CHI-5071

Source of funds:

Beneficiary
Beneficiary name: 
Centro Cultural Ciudadanos en Acción
Beneficiary description: 

The Centre Cultural Citizenship in Action (Centro Cultural Ciudadanos en Acción) created 'El Ciudadano' in March, 2005. By sharing our model with and training other communities, using the latest interactive media, we can help to produce new local media. Our human resources are locally based, and highly committed to the ethics of free and independent press, thus ensuring that an expanded supply of local news also increases the local demand.

Beneficiary country:

Beneficiary type:

Location and contacts
UNESCO
Responsible UNESCO Regional advisers: 

Gunther Cyranek, g.cyranek@unesco.org;

UNESCO Field Office:

Project contacts: 

Bruno Sommer, Nicolas Montserrat,

Project place: 
La Unión

Project region:

Follow-up and achievments
Summary of the project implementation: 

The project has been successfully implemented in spite of a delay in the realization. With regard to El Ciudadano's outstanding responsibilities, the organization of workshops for community groups in community reporting and media sales were held in early 2010 in the cities El Cisne, La Diagonal and El Ranquino and with a group of university students, using multimedia materials prepared by El Ciudadano. El Ciudadano provided all required financial and evaluative reporting.

Achieved outputs: 
El Ciudadano increased its investigative profile, offering features and reports on the Mapuches, on solidary economy, the Chilean education system, investments in Chilean mines, hydro-electric energy plants and their impact on communities etc. With regard to the second immediate objective, El Ciudadano helped community reporters, community initiatives, community media to set up web news portals and/or print publications. Additionally, a data base of independent media was set up which currently lists circulation, advertising and contact information of 20 Chilean media. Part of the information is published on the website www.mediosdelospueblos.cl. In order to strengthen the relationship between independent media and the academic sector (journalism schools and university faculties), El Ciudadano held meetings with representatives of four universities sharing their experience with the implementation of the dual media type strategy and the independent media network. An issue-based publication at national level was launched in form of a supplement of El Ciudadano, named La Palanca. Focusing on gender issues, two issues with circulation of 15 000 have been published so far.