Why the Media Matter: Ensuring the World's Poorest People Have a Say

"Most debates over the role of the media in development focus on strategies to secure media coverage of poverty-related issues. This is critical, but the extent of coverage is not the only factor. The extent to which the perspectives of those living in poverty are reflected in the media is becoming equally important. It is important because it is what people living in poverty say they need most if they are to improve their lives..." - James Deane

In October 2005, James Deane spoke at the Global Forum for Media Development conference in Amman, Jordan. In this 20-page excerpt report, he outlines some of the key trends shaping the media landscape over the past 5 years, with a particular focus on developing countries - and the role of media in development and development policy. His paper outlines some of the background to the Global Forum, particularly on four issues:

1. "Why the role of the media will be critical in determining success or failure in halving the number of people living in poverty by 2015;
2. Why, perversely, media and communication support features so poorly in current development strategies;
3. How recent transformations in the communication landscape raise profound new questions about the role of the media in society, questions responding to which media and media-support organisations themselves - rather than governments or even civil society - should answer; and
4. A proposal on how the debate on the role of media in development can be reframed to overcome old debates and divisions on the issue."

Acknowledging that trends are inconsistent and vary from country to country, Deane argues that "recent changes in the structure, content and character of the media have had a far more profound effect in information terms than the changes in new technologies," citing the following key changes:

1. liberalisation and commercialisation of media over the last decade in many parts of the world, which has led to "a much more democratic, dynamic, crowded and complex media landscape. This opens up new spaces for public dialogue and civic engagement, particularly in radio. Such liberalisation has also created more commercial, advertising-driven media where information and power within developing countries create a growing separation between rich and poor, urban and rural."
2. growing concentration of media ownership - at the global, regional and national levels - which "is squeezing out independent media players and threatening to replace government-controlled concentration of media power with commercially and politically-oriented ownership."
3. increasing developing country reliance on Northern news providers, such as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Reuters and Cable News Network (CNN), for their international news and information, particularly on stories of globalisation, trade and international politics.

Reflecting on these trends, Deane cautions that, "a growing crisis may be emerging, a crisis marked by a collapse - or sometimes stillbirth - of public interest media." While stimulating "innovation, dynamism and often greatly enhanced democratic debate leading to profound social change", the increasingly competitive market among media means that "content is increasingly being shaped by the demands of advertisers and sponsors who pay for the newly liberalised media. Pressure to remain profitable can result in increasingly urban-biased, consumer-oriented media with diminishing interest in, or concern for, people living in poverty...." Associated with, and contributing to, these patterns is the fact that journalists who themselves want to explore and investigate poverty-related stories "are finding it more and more difficult to get either resources or attention from their editors....Journalism training is also under pressure, particularly with a public interest remit...."

Deane's tracing of communication trends here draws on changes in the global development effort, which he notes is increasingly structured around meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). He explains that donors have committed themselves to work much more closely together according to a set of frameworks crafted by developing countries themselves, centrally through the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) process. The central principle underpinning the PRSP is country ownership, but Deane cites analysis indicating that PRSPs are in fact failing because of a lack of ownership: "The media are vital to the kind of public dialogue that can foster ownership. The media are not and have not played that role." In general, analysis suggests:

• "Very low level of awareness of PRSP processes within media of PRSP countries;
• Disengaged and formulaic reporting - when it occurs at all;
• Lack of technical skills among journalists to report on economic development and issues specific to sectors such as health, education and agriculture;
• Poor relationships between government and journalists hindering investigative and strong coverage of PRSP related issues;
• Lack of interaction between NGOs [non-governmental organisations]/CSOs [civil society organisations] and media that, if it did occur, might lead to enhanced media understanding and engagement;
• Media outlets are increasingly demanding payment in exchange for coverage of development issues;
• Urban bias of media; and
• Failure to adjust strategies that engage media to new media environments."

As highlighted by this single illustration of the centrality of the media to supporting accomplishment of the MDGs, Deane argues that the media matter...not just in terms of ownership (as in the PRSP process) but also in terms of accountability: "The importance of an independent, informed, engaged media in helping inform citizens so that they can hold their governments accountable is central." There are many challenges that render donors ill-equipped to support independent media which is capable of fostering accountability, which Deane elucidates here. He argues that what is most needed is a "concerted, coordinated and effective advocacy strategy by media organisations aimed at donors", with the needs and agendas developed as much as possible from within developing countries. In addition, "the evidence base for the impact of media support should be urgently developed..."

Deane concludes by stressing the importance of efforts to foster increased media freedom, particularly in light of poverty-related goals: "Unless media are able to play the role of guardian of the public interest, unless that public is seen as the whole population of developing countries and not just those who comprise a market for advertisers, and unless those who have most to win or lose from development debates are listened to, people will die."