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

PrefacePrefaceA mouthpiece of government turned into a broadcasterworking in the interest of the public – this vision has alwayshad a strong appeal to DW Akademie. DW Akademie is Germany’sleading organization for international media developmentand Deutsche Welle’s center of excellence for education,knowledge transfer, and media training.We firmly believe that independent media and responsiblejournalism are essential to societies. In Germany, thepublic service broadcasting system is widely accepted as oneof the pillars of a system of such quality media. Being part ofDeutsche Welle, our country’s international broadcaster with apublic service remit, the concept of media in the service of thepublic is very close to DW Akademie.This is why DW Akademie has actively supported severaltransformation processes of former state broadcasters in developingcountries and emerging economies over the years.Assisting reform, however, has often proved to be very challenging.Progress has felt too slow in some cases, in others,resistance to reform turned out to me more obstinate thanexpected. Sometimes we asked ourselves if this really is theright path to take, and if there are any alternative approacheslike the support of community or private media who in manycases also deliver good services on behalf of the public.This study constitutes the attempt to draw some initialconclusions from the work conducted by DW Akademie andother media development organizations in the past. It aims ata better understanding of which public service functions formerstate broadcasters can provide at all and which approachesof media development actors have proved to be successful.Reforming of state mouthpieces into public service mediacan indeed be achieved. This is one of the most importantfindings of this study. DW Akademie researchers here presentexamples of media outlets that fulfill their public service remitof creating a public sphere and supporting integration to asubstantial degree. Even among the success stories, not all themedia outlets studied here have adopted a public service ethosto its full extent. Their work, however, improved considerably.In assisting reform, media development actors were thus ableto enhance the public’s freedom of expression as well as its accessto information – two basic human rights we see as importantprerequisites for peace and democracy.On the other hand, this study shows how difficult and complextransformation is. State media are often highly politicized.Successful transformation, therefore, requires supportof a lot of different actors: the political elite, civil society, themanagement of the broadcaster, its staff, and last but certainlynot least, the public as a whole. It is vital that media developmentactors identify windows of opportunity and profit fromthem in order to propel change forward.At the same time, this study demonstrates that media developmentorganizations have to think beyond their traditionalfields of expertise: capacity development and newsroom consultancy.A much broader approach is needed if substantialand sustainable development is to be achieved.DW Akademie is currently implementing a new, more complexstrategy for successful media development cooperationthat takes this into account. Political and legal frameworkshave become a strategic area of activity. Other equally importantareas comprise qualifications, professionalism, andeconomic sustainability of the media sector, participation insociety, and digital change.With regard to public broadcasting, political and legalframeworks are especially important in order to ensure editorialindependence of former state broadcasters. Furthermore,media development actors have to engage more in organizationaldevelopment. Therefore, at the end of this study, wededicate a whole chapter to this question.This study of selected media outlets from twelve countriesdoes not attempt to provide a final answer to the question ofsuccessful public service transformation. It aims at giving anoverview of what has been achieved in practical work in thisfield in the course of the past years. More research is neededto understand which steps of reform are needed for a genuinetransformation that is sustainable in the long term.The media are undergoing crucial developments. Digitalchange, convergence, and social media have increased pluralismof opinion substantially in many parts of the world. At thesame time, the media face new challenges with respect to theireconomic sustainability. The notion of public service mediathat offer a model for providing journalistic quality withoutfinancial dependence deserves further thought.Christian GramschDirector DW AkademieEdition DW Akademie In the Service of the Public 5