edition-dw-akademie-in-the-service-of-the-public-functions-and-transformation-of-media-in-developing-countries-pdf

Part I IntroductionConsequently Hammer foresees a convergence between PSMand community media as part of a de-institutionalizing ofpublic service provision. In a new form of PSM ecology he canimagine many providers of public service content. “Why canPSM not utilize a careful tagging enterprise with a well-editedchannel of multiplatform access on YouTube using audience/user folksonomies, collaborative tagging, crowdsourcing inidentifying PSM content regardless of its origin?” 51Notwithstanding these possibilities there is the need, notonly to strengthen the communication within limited communities,but to include society as a whole. In many countriesthere is still a healthy political will to sustain strong nationalpublic service institutions. The cases where traditional publicservice broadcasters were, for economic reasons, dividedinto different enterprises have shown that the newly created“privately owned public service broadcasters” 52 are much lessobliged to deliver a broad service to the public (and less interestedin doing so) than the classic PSB. “Splitting up the publiccorporation and distributing the public service obligation to arow of smaller and more vulnerable entities involves a dangerof opening up a gate for illegitimate influence and pressure.” 53So there are still good reasons for strong PSM that can inthe long run defend the independence of their work on behalfof the public as a whole.As far as media landscapes in developing countries are concerned,there is a particular need for larger national institutionsthat ensure public access to information and advancesocial cohesion. James Deane of BBC Media Action analyzesthe situation in fragile states and concludes that, here in particular,public service broadcasting can involve citizens fromall regions and cultures in national public conversations andthus help to build shared identities. 54Another major challenge for developing countries is posedby the new digital technologies. On the one hand, many societiesprogress at a great pace with respect to mobile communicationand the internet where new media outlets emerge.On the other hand, the new technologies are the tools of theelites only. 55 And many broadcasters are not prepared for theupcoming “digital switchovers” in their television services.For the specific media development context of this study,we need to carefully analyze the status of the (former) statebroadcasters and their potential for change – even if theyseem completely outdated and dysfunctional at first sight. Atthe same time we need to look for new avenues to take in thelarger media landscapes but also in the strategies and managementof the media development interventions.The question needs to be asked again, what exactly PSMas a concept means today and how this concept can be developedin different cultures, particularly in developing countrieswhich are undergoing processes of transformation.All this has to be achieved with a broadened perspectiveon the audience. The media’s role here is to help people accessinformation and voice their opinions, and to allow for theirparticipation in public discussions. As new forms of participationbecome possible through the medium of the internetand mobile communication, citizens should be encouraged totransform from passive recipients to active users and providersof specific content. Yet at the same time the old ideals suchas universality of access and the independence of journalismare still relevant and need to be ensured.So the idea of this study is not to defend old territory, butrather to see which new buildings can be constructed on it andhow. And, in doing so, one has to keep in mind that the basicidea behind all this is to deliver a good, fair, and equal mediaservice to the public.Approach and Aim of the StudyThis study’s primary aim is to take stock of approaches, experiencesand results in media development. After more than twodecades of interventions in the transformation of state broadcastersit is still not clear what has been achieved and underwhich circumstances. It also remains somewhat uncertainwhich methods worked and why.Among media development experts there is an ongoingdebate as to whether the transformation of state broadcastersshould generally be pursued and, if so, whether it is a goodidea at all to export the Western model of PSM to other regionsand cultures of the world. It is further being discussed whetherthis transformation approach should be complemented or replacedby alternative strategies. For example, the work withthe state broadcasters could be limited to a few assistance projectsonly. Or a media development organization may chooseto work with other partners altogether, such as the communitymedia sector or civil society, and thus support media workon behalf of citizens in a different way.To prepare the study we conducted a preliminary literaturereview and initial interviews with development and media experts.Initially we were unable to identify many cases of successfultransformation achieved through media development. 56 Butwe saw that in numerous instances we could identify specificaspects that were of interest to us, such as new legislation initiatives,active civil societies, new programming formats, organizationalreform or new approaches in media development.44UNESCO 2005, 12.45See Bardoel & d’Haenens 2008,345-348.46Sondergaard 1999, 25.47Hammer 2013.48For example, they produce videoson environmental protection andsocial injustice; they offer animportant programming space foraudience participation andinvolvement on the radio; theyexperiment with new formats,such as a soundmap of Budapeston the internet.49Buckley 2011, 7.50Villamayor & Lamas 1998.51Hammer 2013, 126.52E.g. French TV ChannelTV1. See Nissen 2006, 32.53Nissen 2006, 32.54Deane 2013, 21.55Bussiek 2013, 36.56See Smith 2011; Muppdi & Manvi2012; AfriMAP.Edition DW Akademie In the Service of the Public 17