Strengthening African Media: What does Africa think

Gerry PowerDirector, Research & Knowledge Management

World BankWashington DC

February 22, 2007

BBC World Service Trust - Background

Realising Media’s Importance in Achieving Development and Good Governance

Media Development and Development Communications

40 countries

AMDI - Background

UK Commission for Africa Recommendation:

“independent media institutions, public service broadcasters, civil society and the private sector, with support from governments, should form a consortium of partners, in Africa and outside, to provide funds and expertise to create an African media development facility” --- Our Common Interest, April 2005

“What Role Can the Media Play in the Fight Against Global Poverty?”

BBC World Service Trust/DFID conference, November 2004

* * *

AMDI - Background

• Consultations• Research• Technical Workshop

Advisory GroupAmadou Mahtar Ba, AllAfrica,comLuckson Chipare, Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)Wilfred Kiboro, Nation Media GroupArlindo Lopes, Southern African Broadcasting Association (SABA)Moeletsi Mbeki, EndemolEdetean Ojo, Media Rights AgendaLynne Muthoni Wanyeki, FEMNET

Supported by: DFID, Gates Foundation, IFC, Irish Aid

African Media Development InitiativeAfrican Media Development Initiative

                      

www.bbcworldservicetrust.org/amdi17 Individual Country Reports

AMDI Research countries

WEST Cameroon

Ghana

Senegal

Sierra Leone

Nigeria (hub)

Research objectivesQ: Understand what are the key changes/developments in the media sector?

Q: How have media development activities contributed to the development of the media

during this time?

Q: What contributions are likely to make the greatest impact on the development of the media

within sub-Saharan Africa in the future?

Research design 17 countries grouped into 3 regional hubs Intensive 2 day project briefing for country based researchers Matched sample profile country

STAGE 1: Media landscape desk research–Country statistics–Growth/proliferation of media–NGO media development activity –Observations

STAGE 2: In-depth audio-recorded interviews (300)–15 interviews in each of 17 countries with representatives from government, NGOs, private and state media, educationalists and commentators–15 continental interviews across 3 regions–12 international interviews–Transcribed and translated

EAST Ethiopia DRC Kenya Somalia Tanzania Uganda

SOUTH Angola Botswana Mozambique South Africa Zambia Zimbabwe

Media Landscape – Key Facts

General Observations

Generally low awareness of breadth and potential of media development activities

Widespread consensus and passion about priorities for strengthening the media sector

Acknowledgement that progress has been made on multiple fronts

Overall absence of coordination between stakeholders Data on media is lacking in quantity and quality

Evidence of effectiveness is generally not available

Small and unsustainable nature of current investment

Landscape – Key Facts

Radio is still the dominant media in the surveyed countries, with major growth in regional commercial radio.

Television is more widespread although growth is significantly less dramatic than that for radio. National state TV dominates, growth in pay-TV and satellite channels is reported.

National dailies and weeklies continue to dominate over regional outlets and remain concentrated in urban centres.

Significant increases in the numbers of journalists with a concomitant rise in amateur and untrained journalists.

Marginal increase in numbers of university media/journalism entities. Vocational training entities remains static.

Mobile telephone use has shown dramatic increases in every country far outstripping internet usage

Commercial Regional Radio stations increased in all countries with the exception of Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. In the DRC expanded from 8 in 2000/2 to 150 in 2004/5

State Regional TV in Nigeria has expanded from 58 channels in 2000 to 130 in 2004-6

Six countries report an increase in the number of national dailies and eight an increase in national weeklies, compared to 3 each for regional dailies and weeklies

Six countries report an increase of 50% or greater in the reported number of practising journalists over a five-year period

Twelve countries have three or more universities offering academic programmes in journalism

Eight countries report in excess of 2000 % increase in mobile telephone subscribers

Four Key Drivers

• Media Policy and Legislation

• Media Infrastructure and Investment

• Professionalisation

• Supporting Local Content Production

Media Policy and Legislation

Assessment of Current Status

Legislation which guarantees access to and freedom of information

Reform of laws regarding criminal defamation and insult

Laws that exist to enable media regulatory bodies to operate independently

Provisions that aim to secure the independence of publicly owned media

In countries such as Ghana and Nigeria legislation for access to information has been pending government approval for up to six years now

Repressive practices such as state-sponsored mechanisms for the sanctioning of journalists were still reported to exist in 8 countries (Angola, DRC, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia)

Eight countries (Cameroon, DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Somalia and Zimbabwe) do not have such legislation while the ones that do have regulatory bodies, they are state-run

Only 2 Ghana and South Africa appeared to have established provisions in place to secure the independence of publicly owned media

Assessment of Current Status

Provisions to support community or alternative media

Regulatory obligation for public or state broadcaster to fulfil a public service broadcasting remit

Regulatory obligation for commercial broadcaster to fulfil a public service broadcasting remit

Five countries (Angola, Botswana, Nigeria, Somalia and Zimbabwe) appeared to offer no provisions for, and had no legislation in place to support community or alternative media

Ten countries (Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, DRC, Ethiopia, Mozambique , Nigeria , Sierra Leone, Somalia and Zimbabwe) reported that there were no regulatory obligations for public or state broadcasters to fulfil a public service broadcasting remit

There are no regulatory obligations for private or independent broadcasters to fulfil a public service broadcasting remit in seven countries (Angola, Botswana, DRC, Mozambique, Nigeria, Somalia and Zimbabwe)

Advocacy – Future Priorities

Effective work requires engaging multiple stakeholders

Effective work requires engaging multiple stakeholders

Civil society activismPublic fora

Public debate

Civil society activismPublic fora

Public debate

MISAMISA

Transparent structuresand systems

Transparent structuresand systems

Governance andpractice

Governance andpractice

Broaden the debate at

multiple levels

Develop strong regional networks

Invest in organisational reform of state

media

Accountability of private media

NigeriaGhanaZambiaEthiopiaUganda

Zimbabwe

NigeriaGhanaZambiaEthiopiaUganda

Zimbabwe

Prioritise extreme

individual cases

Independent Regulatory Bodies –

Future Priorities

Agreement on their value in the coordination and implementation of compliance

Agreement on their value in the coordination and implementation of compliance

TrainingRegulating conduct

AccreditationPublic complaints

TrainingRegulating conduct

AccreditationPublic complaints

Code of conductGuidelines

Monitor performance

Code of conductGuidelines

Monitor performance

Strengthen existing bodies Create a new infrastructure

State Control – Future Priorities

Key barrier to media development is the control that states exert over media

Key barrier to media development is the control that states exert over media

Strengthen regulatory frameworks

Consistent Policy onAllocation of licenses

Protection of journalists

Freedom of expression and access to information

Media Infrastructure & Investment

Infrastructure

Poor state of media infrastructure universally acknowledged Equipment Maintenance Facilities Upgrading

Dearth of reliable information on media support agencies

- variability in numbers and ownership status of news agencies

- variability in the presence of media monitoring agencies

- poor market research infrastructure

- growing number of advertising agencies

“If your transmitter breaks down you can stay three months without working, the time to order and

receive a new transmitter…people could work on that type of technical

support” (Senegal)

Context

MEDIA ORGANISATION

EQUIPMENT NEEDS

FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

INVESTMENT

NEWS AGENCIES, ADVERTISING AGENCIES, MARKET RESEARCH AGENCES, MEDIA MONITORING AGENCIES,

INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION COMPANIES

Investment – Future Priorities

Tailoring finance, and bridging the finance gap Return on Investment on a typical infrastructure investment (eg, a printing press) exceeds the normal lending cycle of local banks.

Improve utilisation of existing finance schemesLack of widespread awareness and/or utilisation of existing media financing schemes (eg, Southern Africa Media Development Fund).

Facilitate the funding of equipmentSupport physical media infrastructure through the provision, maintenance and upgrading of equipment.

Create mechanisms allowing organisations to share technical facilitiesSmaller enterprises could form networks or unions to share facilities (eg, transmitters).

Identify opportunities for collective purchasing of equipmentThe benefits of a more collaborative approach to the procurement of technology was also identified as a useful model that could be shared or replicated in other regions.

Support the upgrading of equipment and skillsFunding of ICT programmes is a priority in terms of supporting upgrade and improvement of infrastructure and to introduce or develop ICT skills among media practitioners.

Professionalisation

Context

Professional, ethical, management and technical standards remain disappointingly low

Three key factors contribute:- insufficient or poor quality training/training institutions- rapid growth of media in some countries- low salaries and status of journalism

A plethora of training initiatives is being carried out but too many are seen as ad hoc, lacking a strategic plan, insufficiently funded and too short-term

Future programmes need to be more relevant (culture-specific) and to include monitoring and evaluation

Professionalisation – Lessons Learned

Institutional InvestmentInvestment into quality schools/centres of excellence is a powerful tool. However more is not better as the overall increase in the number in schools is sometimes inflated by mushrooming sub-standard journalism schools.

PartnershipsProfessional development programmes based on diverse partnership arrangements have been deemed effective thanks to the resulting customisation of training according to the needs of the cultural reality on the ground.

In-house trainingProfessional development deemed more successful when designed and delivered in collaboration with beneficiary media organisations. This adds value to the training because of the focus on media practices in the organisational context within which the journalist operates.

Multi-phased trainingOngoing, or multi-phased training has more impact, especially in conjunction with mentoring programmes.

Professionalisation – Future Priorities

Media organisations

POINTS OF ENGAGEMENTPOINTS OF ENGAGEMENT

Educational/Training Institutions

• Strategic professional development

• Management courses

• Training in specialist disciplines

• Incentivise trainees

• Retention programmes mechanisms

• Strategic professional development

• Management courses

• Training in specialist disciplines

• Incentivise trainees

• Retention programmes mechanisms

• Strengthen existing programmes through sharing good practice, harmonising curricula and updating courses and equipment

• Professional development for those delivering training

• Criteria for accreditation

• Strengthen existing programmes through sharing good practice, harmonising curricula and updating courses and equipment

• Professional development for those delivering training

• Criteria for accreditation

Evaluation mechanisms help course providers

and trainees to sustain skills, and determine

ROI

Evaluation mechanisms help course providers

and trainees to sustain skills, and determine

ROI

Supporting Local Content Production

Supporting local content production: issues

State controlled media delivers material which is too closely aligned to government/ruling party

Views of the urban elite over-represented in all media, but particularly commercial media

Community media caters for under-served groups but often lack long term sustainability

Capitalise on the national reach of the state broadcasters and stimulate in-house and local production through more creative

commissioning and funding processes

Local Content Production – Future Priorities

Media organisations are challenged to improve the quality and diversity of their

content to appeal to and grow their audiences

Media organisations are challenged to improve the quality and diversity of their

content to appeal to and grow their audiences

Foster local production skills

Quotas could be imposed to meet

a public service remit

Quotas could be imposed to meet

a public service remit

Content in local languagesFocus on issues which are

Culturally relevant

Content in local languagesFocus on issues which are

Culturally relevant

Wider range of content for development

issues

Produce compelling, entertaining content

Train journalists to widen theagenda with regard to

development issues

Produce compelling, entertaining content

Train journalists to widen theagenda with regard to

development issues

Support cultural identity

Facilitators and Enablers for Local Content Production

• Provision of equipment

• Training programmes

• News Agencies

• Market research

• Regulatory reform

• Monitoring

Principles, Identity and Organisation

6 Key Principles to Guide an Initiative

Develop locally or regionally defined agenda – framed and co- owned by participants and beneficiaries

Adopt a Needs-based approach – reflecting gaps and requirements

Apply a Collaborative approach – from the ground up

Embed sustainable objectives

Employ a reasonable timeframe – need to design projects for the long-term and avoid the ‘quick win’

Embed M&E – develop and use standardised methodologies

Widespread Endorsement of a Pan-African Approach

Benefits:

Create space for advocacy – benefits of international pressure

Shared learning – data gathering, good practice, success stories

Joint purchasing – regional purchasing power, harmonisation of trading practices

Integrated funding – strong regional economic leverage

Organisation Structure

No demand for a new organisation

African leadership is taken as a given

Autonomous funding structure

Secure funding and improve options

Establish criteria for donor coordination – holistic strategy

Avoid duplication at the point of delivery

Summary

Information deficit prevails across the sector Media outlets growing in diversity and number Inconsistent implementation and commitment to media legislation Low standards among media practitioners Poor equipment, facilities and technical support

Need for:- a more strategic perspective - a more holistic approach to strengthening the sector- greater recognition of the role of media in development- greater coordination by donors and delivery organisations- more production of content relevant to local audiences- more sustainable models of media development

“It is extremely important. You can’t talk about democratisation without media…. especially here in Angola where we still have to explain to the people that democracy is not an alien thing, but about participation in the business of the country, rights and welfare of the country. And this is achieved through information.”

(Luisa Rogerio, Secretary-General, Media Support: Sindicato dos Jornalistas de Angola, Angola)

Proposed Next Steps

Six Month Development Process to Produce Fully Designed and Costed Proposal:

• Pan African• Five Year Duration• Holistic/Strategic• Donor Money to Catalyse Sustainable Activity and Investment

Development Components:

• Technical Work to Mature Strategies and Interventions • High-Level Advocacy with Future Partners and Investors• Stakeholder’s Consultation