Bettina Peters

Bettina Peters

Director

Bettina Peters is the director of the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD), a membership network launched in 2008 of media assistance organisations from around the globe. At the GFMD Bettina leads the organisation’s activities, for instance, the global mapping of media development and coordinates the GFMD’s efforts to promote recognition of the key role media play in strengthening democratic development. Before joining GFMD in July 2007, Bettina worked as the director of programmes at the European Journalism Centre, where she was in charge of EJC’s programme of media support and journalism training, in particular in the European Union, Middle East/ North Africa and in Eastern Europe. From 1990 until 2002 Bettina worked at the International Federation of Journalists, where she set up the IFJ’s Project Division. She was responsible for the IFJ’s global programme on media development and capacity-building for journalists’ organisations, in particular in Africa and Eurasia. She holds a Masters Degree in political science and journalism from the University of Hamburg and has edited a range of publications, including a global survey of women in journalism for the IFJ, the EJC handbook on Civic Journalism, the EJC handbook on Reporting Different Communities, the IFJ’s Media Diversity handbook and the IFJ handbook on Human Rights Reporting. She was involved in developing the Ethical Journalism Initiative in 2007, which includes promotion of diversity in media houses and media coverage. Her recent publications include the conclusions of “European Media Governance – The Brussels Dimension”, “Future of Journalism and Challenges for Media Development: Are We Exporting a Model that No Longer Works At Home?” and she is the reviewer for Western Europe for Freedom House’s index on Press Freedom in the World. Born in Hamburg, Germany, Bettina now lives with her partner in Belgium.