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This blog is published by the Communication for Governance & Accountability Program (CommGAP).
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February 2009

Media Strengthening: Taking Politics Seriously - 2

Submitted by Sina Odugbemi on Thu, 02/26/2009 - 11:15

I promised in the previous post on this topic to offer a way of taking internal political processes seriously as we seek to strengthen media systems around the world. As many of you will know, one major preoccupation of CommGAP's is to seek a deeper understanding of how to tackle some of the people-related or adaptive challenges that often bedevil efforts to improve governance systems in developing countries.  Therefore, the starting point of this perspective is the conviction that if you want to strengthen the media system in Gugu Republic as one of the fundamental institutions of that country, your effort  is like any other attempt to reform governance systems.

What a Difference an 'S' makes

Submitted by Paolo Mefalopulos on Mon, 02/23/2009 - 10:28

A few months ago, I finalized the Development Communication Sourcebook published by the World Bank. It includes a section entitled “Ten Key Issues on (Development) Communication” that addresses misconceptions frequently encountered when working in this field. I’ll be addressing those key issues in my next few posts, starting with this one: the difference and implications of using the terms “communication” and “communications.”

Are We Missing a Link? Communication in Post-Conflict Societies

Submitted by Anne-Katrin Arnold on Wed, 02/18/2009 - 16:58

When we're advocating for more attention to the role of independent media systems in developing nations, we often hear the question: What about conflict and post-conflict societies? Isn't it much more important to build peace first, to provide humanitarian aid, and to stimulate economic growth before thinking about what the people see on television?

Building Sustainable Media Development Projects

Submitted by Anne-Katrin Arnold on Tue, 02/17/2009 - 14:20

CommGAP's work on a toolkit for media development continues - last week our round table of experts, led by Shanthi Kalathil, met again. This time the discussion focused on how to make development projects economically sustainable. Well - or not. Participants agreed that sometimes such projects aren't supposed to be sustainable. In conflict situations, for example, donors may want to establish a short term project that is only active during the conflict.

Media Strengthening: Taking Politics Seriously

Submitted by Sina Odugbemi on Thu, 02/12/2009 - 09:48

I have noticed over the years that groups working to strengthen media systems around the world concentrate their attention on donors active in international development. This is understandable for two reasons. Donors have money and you go to them if you want an initiative funded. Second, donors - either alone or collectively - have influence in many countries. Once in a long while, they are able to bring about change just by insisting on it and being prepared to fund the process of change.

But there is one big reason why donors alone cannot strengthen media systems, especially in authoritarian political systems. And that is power... the acquisition and retention of power.

Blog Birthday!

Submitted by Johanna Martinson on Tue, 02/10/2009 - 13:57

It’s already been a year since People, Spaces, Deliberation was officially launched, and we would like to take the opportunity to thank all of our readers and our bloggers for making this blog into such a rewarding experience. We are grateful to our guest bloggers, who have joined this blog from around the world to share their expertise on issues we believe are fundamental to improving governance and accountability.

As always, we look forward to our readers’ comments and hope for a more lively exchange of ideas in the year to come. Feel free to drop us a line and share your thoughts about this blog and the issues discussed to date.

While making a toast and reflecting on the past year, we would like to share with you the five most popular blog posts:

Building Legitimacy through Government Communication Capacity

Submitted by Antonio Lambino on Mon, 02/09/2009 - 10:49

The Philippine Information Agency recently announced that the president “wants more aggressive communication of government affairs.” In a directive to her newly appointed press secretary, President Arroyo instructed him “to be more aggressive in communicating her governance and to be more responsive to issues raised by the people.”

 

Johan Galtung and the “P” Word

Submitted by Caroline Jaine on Thu, 02/05/2009 - 12:46

On a cold January evening, shortly after watching President Obama take office from a crowded bar in central London, I dashed across town to the Palace of Westminster to listen to the wise words of Johan Galtung who was talking at the All Party Parliamentary Group for Conflict Issues.

In the field I work in, Galtung is a legend.  The 78 year-old Norwegian socialist is the grandfather of peace studies and has mediated in over 40 conflicts around the world.  He has been a peace activist most of his life – in his teens he was sent to prison for insisting that he be engaged in peace-making activities rather than serving in the military.  

Can Social Networking Technology Undo Old Political Networks?

Submitted by Silvio Waisbord on Wed, 02/04/2009 - 09:43

I always find puzzling how easily techno-enthusiasts believe that new information software and gizmos can successfully address many problems for democratic communication. I guess it’s part of the perennial search for quick magic bullets to solve the miseries of the world. The centrality of social networking during the Obama campaign, the role of Facebook during recent political events (such as the Gaza-Israeli conflict), and the political uses of mobile telephony (whether for organizing public protests or denouncing corruption) have been recently submitted as evidence that new technologies tear down old obstacles. They bolster the claim that nothing can stop the marriage of citizens and technology. The future is on the side of net-savvy, empowered people.

Toolkit for a Tricky Business

Submitted by Anne-Katrin Arnold on Tue, 02/03/2009 - 11:40

What makes media development work? It seems that even development specialists don't always know. To close this knowledge gap, CommGAP is working on a media development toolkit for governance advisors, giving recommendations on how to implement successful media development projects.

Basis of this toolkit is a learning needs assessment study that CommGAP commissioned at the end of last year. The two main findings: many governance advisors aren't aware of the importance of the media in governance. The few who are describe their media-related capabilities as "emerging" or "unsophisticated."