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

This list of possible solutions and interventions should in anycase be integrated into a holistic methodological approach accompanyingtransformation processes. Many of the projectsso far seem to have been piecemeal approaches only. It hasto be taken into account that organizational change can bebetter achieved through adequate methods which use a widerange and a combination of result-oriented interventions.At the same time the interventions need to be synchronizedas much as possible between the different (media development)actors. The ambition to transform a media outlet – orthe whole media system – is often voiced but then not alwaysconsistently carried out. What is needed here is an overallstrategy for change processes.RQ 6: Which recommendations can be made for future mediadevelopment projects supporting public service functions?Transformed state media that have been successfully turnedinto PSM are able to fulfill a number of important public servicefunctions. With this study we have been able to showcasea few examples where this has been made possible. But thesemedia outlets are not the only ones that deliver public servicefunctions. As we have seen, special community media andAPSM (alternative public service media) can also deliver somepublic service functions.The strategic question now is under what conditions is abroad transformation process towards PSM a worthy endeavor,and when is it better to limit the engagement with formerstate broadcasters? When should more attention be given tocommunity media and aspiring APSM? And how can all thisbe put into practice? We shall try to answer these questions,based on the results and considerations above.If, in a given country, there is a general will by political andcivil society actors for a change process towards a public servicemedia system, a broad effort seems justified. An agenda ofcooperation and a strategic plan for reform needs to be developed.To achieve this a number of basic processes should bestarted that are fundamental to development in many sectors:– An inclusion of a maximum of local expertise, not onlyat the onset,– An effort by international actors to understand localcontexts and cultural settings,– The integration and synchronization/coordination ofall stakeholders, on different levels,– A continuous coordination of donors and developmentactors,– General assessments of the media sector and its actors,including not only media outlets but also universities,press councils, networks of journalists, unions, legalexperts, etc.– Specific assessments of the ( former) state media andother (potential) PSMs in several areas, e.g., financial,organizational, content,– A long-term involvement and approach. Many processeshere take time and are subject to backlashes,– A holistic methodological approach consideringinterventions on different levels and areas.Early on in the process legal frameworks and their applicationneed to be on the agenda. They are an important basisfor working in the media sector. In an ideal situation, improvementsin legislation and regulation are made at the outset ofa change process. But often this is only done partially or nevergets beyond the planning stage. As a consequence, media outletsas well as media development struggle with adverse andunclear situations. So long-term work is needed here fromseveral actors towards special laws that guarantee freedom ofinformation and expression, the independence of PSM andtheir governing bodies, laws for community media, fair andtransparent licensing procedures, etc. For media developmentit is important here to– Build their own legal expertise and contacts to politicalactors,– Cooperate with national and international organizationswith expertise in the governance sector,– Support networks of experts for media law with actors fromjournalism, law, academia and civil society,– Develop or support projects, networks and coalitions foradvocacy, lobbying and communications, including specificstrategies for reaching out to selected individuals and targetgroups by using different channels of communication fromface-to-face communications to social media,– Develop a process for the supply of legal knowledge andadvice, e.g., through competence centers.In the consultation of any media outlet the question of economicsustainability should be made an issue from the outset.And it should be part of the overall process. Financial questionsas well as issues related to human resources need tobe dealt with, in conjunction with technical support and thestrengthening of journalistic quality. Media development hasadvanced in this direction over the past years but more workneeds to be done.For the transformation processes related to large media outlets,such as former state media, a broad organizational developmentapproach has to be planned and carried out systematically.As described in chapter 13, a number of elements needto be fed into the overall process. The most important are:– The establishment and continuous work of a strategy group(consisting of a person from the upper management, theproject manager, the organizational consultant and anexpert consultant)– The establishment and continuous work of a steeringcommittee with representatives from different levels and288