Irrelevant inconvenience or inconvenient necessity?: how development agencies/policy-makers approach media within the governance

agenda

James Deane (Research and Policy Programme on Role of Media and Communication in Development, BBC WS Trust

IAMCR, StockholmJuly 2008

• Why development agencies value – in principle – the role of media and communication in development:

• Challenging some assumptions among development agencies of why media play this role.

• The development framework within which media and communication issues are considered.

• How media sector is responding to these challenges.

• Problems with the research base

Presentation Overview

The Problems the Development System expects a Free Media to Help Solve

Building Public Support for

Development Action

(Advocacy)

Informing citizens of issues that shape

their lives

(Democratic Citizenship)

Changing behaviours

(e.g. Health)

Fostering dialogue, preventing conflict

(Conflict)

Holding Authority to Account

(Governance)

Market transparency and

checks and balances

(Economic Development)

Amplifying Voices of Marginalised

Groups

(Empowerment)

Avoiding Famines

(Amartya Sen)

• A group of increasingly private actors expected to address increasingly urgent public interest problems

• Why should the media play these public interest roles under new conditions;– An exploding, liberalised, competitive media market;– New technologies - new models of journalism and erosion of existing models.

• New opportunities for solving these problems (e.g public debate/citizen journalism etc) but..

• Market failures becoming more intense– Intense competition focusing media on advertising income;– Incentives to hold authorities to account e.g. through investigative journalism)

declining, disincentives (attacks on journalists, political cooption) increasing.– Questionable market incentiies in focusing on development issues.– Urban/rural and rich/poor gaps widening

• A paucity of research in this area:– We know little about the incentives and disincentives at work– Or about consequent effects of rapidly changing media and communication dynamics

on state-citizen relationships or on lives of people living in poverty.

The problems media has in solving these problems

Who is the policy audience?

Policy audiences:

Donors/Multilaterals/

Development Banks

Governments

Civil Society

Media organisations

Some Central Policy Questions

Why should media and communication concerns and support be a priority in development strategies?

What action is needed?

What long term development objectives can expect to be met as a result?

What is the current Development Policy Framework?

• Myriad government, donor, foundation, civil society and other policy frameworks

• BUT more consensus underpinning development policy than in the past founded on:– The Millennium Development Goals;– The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, rooted in principles of

national ownership and enhanced accountability of governments to citizens;

– Budget support to governments;– An increasing focus on governance, and a renewed focus on political

realities and contexts (principally in the context of “Development and democracy” - and in economic debates).

Current Development Policy Framework: is there a focus on media, information and communication?

• A focus on improving accountability of governments to citizens;

• Recognition that “ownership” of development strategies by governments of countries is insufficient – public understanding and opportunity to debate is also necessary (OECD);

• Beginnings of a recognition of critical role of media and communication in shaping change (Drivers of Change studies; Experiences in Kenya, Nepal, Ghana, Nigeria etc.)

• Alarm over lack of progress on MDGs (e.g. HIV)• Beginnings of an understanding that rapid changes in

media and ICTs is not well tracked or understood (many UK Parliamentary Questions)

• Beginnings of a recognition of what media and communication programmes can achieve

Fairly catastrophic: The state of development policy regarding media and communication

• Closure/downgrading of media/communication for development departments

• Not on the “mainstream” development agenda (e.g Accra High Level Forum)

• No champions/leadership within bilateral/multilateral agencies.• Decentralisation leading to fragmentation in approaches

associated with rapid staff turnover• Many actors, but little coherence or coordination, particularly at

country level;• Perception that the media and communication sector is weak;• Resources piecemeal, unstrategic and inefficient;• Research base very limited, especially in academic institutions

Media and Communication in development: Policymakers perspectives and responses

• It's fuzzy and unprofessional;

• There's no evidence of impact

• It's too political and messy;

• What does research we trust tell us how it matters, what to do and how to do it?

• An increasingly organised and professional sector emerging;

• An increasingly compelling evidence base;

• Increasing recognition that development is political and messy

• ?

Current Policy Research Challenges (non US)

Few acknowledged centres for policy research on media and communication in context of development;

Research that does take place largely disconnected from practise;

Research addressing peers (media and communication researchers), rarely addressing policy (especially development policy);

Research on related themes (e.g. democratic citizenship/economic development) make assumptions without addressing media and communication;

Very limited incorporation of media and communication concerns into mainstream development policy research agendas e.g drivers of change);

Primitive policy discourse on media and communication within mainstream development policy (conflated with external relations)

Poor civil society understanding;

Some Research Questions that development agencies need better answers toUnder what conditions should

bilateral donors invest in media/communication support initiatives?; Defining parameters of when and when not to invest; Sensitivities and risks; What aid instruments have best worked in supporting media and communication?;

Some currently unanswered (and possibly unasked) Research Questions

What are the consequences of information poverty (lack of access to information on issues that affect lives) on:

– livelihoods (economic engagement);

– claiming rights/empowerment (political and social engagement);

– health outcomes; security; etc.

Some Research Questions

What are the consequences of communication poverty (lack of capacity to communicate perspectives into public/community debate on:

livelihoods (economic engagement);

claiming rights/empowerment (political and social engagement);

health outcomes; security; etc.

Some Research Questions

Access to information and communication opportunities among marginalised groups as determinants of empowerment and improved livelihoods in urban, peri-urban and rural settings: three case studies.

Some Research Questions

The consequences of media policy on government accountability: a longitudinal comparative study in three countries (Zimbabwe, Uganda, Nepal)

with conclusions explaining under what conditions does media liberalisation lead to positive development outcomes?

Some Research Questions

The effects of media liberalisation in crisis states: a comparative study between Rwanda, Burundi and Nepal

Transformation of state broadcasters into public service broadcasters: a review of the evidence

Some Research Questions

Correlations between exposure of people living in poverty to information on issues that affect their lives and citizen action: case studies from Nepal, Colombia and Italy;