AMB Countries and years of report

AMB LesothoAMB SwazilandAMB South AfricaAMB NamibiaAMB BotswanaAMB ZimbabweAMB MosambiqueAMB ZambiaAMB Angola AMB MadagascarAMB MauritiusAMB MalawiAMB TansaniaAMB KenyaAMB UgandaAMB Ivory CoastAMB GhanaAMB BeninAMB CameroonAMB NigeriaAMB MaliAMB SenegalAMB Cape VerdeAMB AlgeriaAMB Chad

The African Media Barometer (AMB)

Project Description:

The African Media Barometer is an in-depth and comprehensive description and measurement system for national media environments on the African continent. Unlike other press surveys or media indices the AMB is a self-assessment exercise based on homegrown criteria derived from African Protocols and Declarations like the “Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa” (2002) by the African Commission for Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR). The instrument was jointly developed by fesmedia Africa, the Media Project of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) in Africa, and the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) in 2004.

The African Media Barometer is an analytical exercise to measure the media situation in a given country which at the same time serves as a practical lobbying tool for media reform. Its results are presented to the public of the respective country to push for an improvement of the media situation using the AU-Declaration as a benchmark. The recommendations of the AMB-reports are then integrated into the work of the 19 country offices of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) in sub-Saharan Africa and into the advocacy efforts of other local media organizations like the Media Institute of Southern Africa.

You will find the AMB indicators here and the African Media Barometer (AMB) country reports here

 

Methodology:

Every two to three years a panel of 10 to 12 experts, consisting of at least five media practitioners and five representatives from civil society, meets to assess the media situation in their own country. For 1 1/2 days the panellists discuss the national media environment according to 45 predetermined indicators grouped into four sectors. The discussion and scoring is moderated by an independent consultant who also edits the country report which is written by a trained AMB rapporteur.

After the discussion of one indicator panel members allocate their individual scores to that respective indicator in an anonymous vote. The sum of all individual indicator scores will be divided by the number of panel members to determine the average score for each indicator. These average indicator scores are added up to form average sector scores which then make up the overall country score.

The final, qualitative report summarizes the main points of discussion and provides the average score for each indicator, each sector score, plus the overall country score. Over time the bi- or tri-annual reports are measuring the media development in that particular country and form the basis for a political discussion on media reform. [read more on our methodology]

At the end of 2008 the indicators were reviewed, amended and some new ones were added to address the rapid developments in Information Communication Technology (ICT).

By the end of 2011 the African Media Barometer had been held in 28 African countries, in some of them already for the fourth time.

The success of the AMB has led to its adoption by other regions: The AMB methodology and concept is now being used in Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe.

Partners:

Specific Objectives of the Project:

  • to assess the media landscape of a country over time
  •  to provide civil society with a strategic advocacy tool for media reform

Role of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung:

  • developing and designing the instrument (together with MISA)
  •  facilitating the AMB panel discussion and providing the moderator and the rapporteur
  • monitoring the application of the AMB methodology
  • facilitating the production of the AMB report

Output and Impact of the Project:

  • follow-up activities by MISA, FES-offices, and other civic society organizations
  • pinpointing the drivers of change and obstacles to media reform
  • raising public awareness for media protocols and declarations signed by governments but not implemented through national law or in practice
  • raising awareness among NGOs of the importance of media issues for “good governance”
  • providing the basis for a reform agenda to media NGOs

Essential Readings