Supporting the development of a free, diverse and gender-inclusive independent media

Key challenges

Free, pluralistic and quality independent journalism is a central pillar of democracy as it provides citizens with information enabling them to actively participate in democratic life. The COVID-19 pandemic has further demonstrated the crucial role of media and journalists to provide reliable information in times of crisis, and especially to remote or vulnerable communities. Yet, today’s media face unprecedented challenges.

Digitization is disrupting business models and increasing the dependence of traditional media companies on public and private support. This threatens media independence and risks undermining public trust in the media sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed both the gap in the media’s capacity to counter disinformation and the precarious and unsafe working conditions for many media personnel worldwide.

Gender equality in media is stagnating and even regressing in many countries.

Women occupy only 27% of top media management jobs, and constitute less than 25% of persons seen, heard or read about in media.

• Supporting 147 new media development projects in close to 80 countries, for a total amount of USD 4.1 million, between 2018 and 2019.

• Mobilizing thousands of public, private and community radio stations to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, by broadcasting awareness-raising messages in more than 40 languages that promote healthy behaviours and debunk rumours about the virus.

• Supporting more than 30 media organizations to strengthen editorial policies on youth and gender equality in media and providing training to enhance gender equality in media to more than 90 media institutions.

• Leading and promoting the 2020 World Radio Day (WRD) which was observed through hundreds of events in 130 countries on the theme of ‘Radio and Diversity’.

• Developing a policy series on Community Media Sustainability to support enabling environments for media pluralism.

• Developing the capacities of media workers at 59 local radio stations in 10 African countries through the “Empowering Local Radio with ICTs” project.

• Developing publications to advance gender equality in media, including a collaboration with UN Women on how to work with media to prevent gender-based violence, and UNESCO guidelines for media professionals on how to report on violence against women and girls.

• Countering ‘fake news’ by developing the ‘Handbook on Journalism, “Fake News” and Disinformation’, which has been translated into 30 languages and gives journalists and media professionals worldwide guidance on countering disinformation.