Media in Governance, The - A Guide to Assistance

The purpose of this guidance paper is to improve the quality and impact of government and media relations and media effectiveness in serving the interests of the poor and the disadvantaged.

From the Introduction
The media can be a major force for improving the quality of government in developing and transitional countries - which is critical if opportunities for the poor and disadvantaged are also to improve.

To fulfil this role the media need room to manoeuvre - tight government regulation and censorship produce media which are ineffective and lacking in credibility. Too little regulation, on the other hand, may lead to the domination of commercial media ruled by advertising, to the detriment of serious content and of the interests of those without purchasing power - i.e. the poor. What is needed are policies that impose responsibilities as well as freedoms on the commercial sector, and that clarify and facilitate the role of the public service media.

Effective media also need good management, and good professional and technical skills.

The main purpose of this Guide is to help governments and development agencies to decide whether to support the development of the media, and if so how.

Contents include:

1. Introduction
   • What do we mean by the media?
   • Why get involved?
   • How can the UK help?
   • This Guide
   • Human rights
   • A word of caution
2. To assist or not to assist?
3. Helping to improve government-media relations
   • Encouraging governments to allow the media proper freedom
   • Publication of government material
   • Legislation and regulation
4. Helping to improve the regulatory regime
   • Licensing:
     the press
     radio and television
   • Regulatory bodies
   • Codes of Practice
     broadcast media
     print media
   • Complaints
5. Helping the media to be more effective
   • Strategy
   • Management and organisation
   • Infrastructure
   • Staffing and equipment
   • Decentralisation
   • Editorial policy and practice
   • Training
6. Campaigning and investigative journalism
   • Campaigning
     When is a campaign likely to succeed? Is the choice of media right for the particular issue and the target audience?
   • Investigative journalism
7. Annex A Accessibility of the media
8. Annex B Sources of expertise
9. Annex C International sources of support
10. Annex D Research sources