Africa Forum for Media DevelopmentHighway Africa

September 7

Support directly to media outlets (print, on-line, broadcast), whether state, public, private, community, non-profit;

Support to create systems of media regulation and control conducive to freedom of expression, pluralism and diversity;

Support to build professional capacity within media (training etc)

Support to supporting institutions that underpin media freedom, independence, pluralism and diversity: media monitoring, advocacy groups, self-regulatory bodies etc;

Support to technical infrastructure.

There’s not enough of it; Too few donors (government and foundations)

are engaged; A large percentage goes to training; There is not that much support going directly to

media outlets; Not enough flexible funding; Too short term; Media development is not recognised as a

sector in its own right and subsumed under other headings (governance, communication and PR, foreign policy objectives).

It’s overrated; Difference whether support is given to help

build an enabling environment or directly to a commercial media with a business plan;

But: We need to make the case for qualitative

(not just quantitative) data. We need more research and assessment

capacity; We need to make the case for long-term

evaluation.

Make the case for media development: Media development is NOT a means to an

end but an end in itself; Free, independent, pluralistic, inclusive

media are essential to democracy and to human development;

Media development is its own sector; Media development needs more support; We need to work more closely together; We need to engage better with civil society.

Bettina PetersGFMD Directordirector@mediagfmd.org