UNESCO plays a critical role in promoting media development globally. The organization’s Communication and Information Sector regularly sends out statements condemning attacks against journalists and updates on the state of media freedom in various countries. Yesterday, I received an e-mail announcing that UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) had chosen to support 84 media development projects around the world. But the numbers worry me a little. The total package amounts to 2.1 million USD spread out over 84 projects. That’s around 25,000 USD per project. Allocations range from 7,000 (strengthening journalism training capacity in Cameroon) to 80,000 USD (much needed assistance to a Haitian journalists’ association). This list of projects tackles a limited set of issues compared to those addressed by the broad media indicators framework IPDC itself released in 2008. [more]

“FREELANCE journalist Stanley Kwenda was found dead on the outskirts of Harare. His remains were found dumped in a ditch along the Harare to Domboshava road . . . ” An imagined worst case scenario, yes -- but one which after that strange and angry voice on the phone last Friday evening promised I would not survive the weekend, I could not say with certainty could never happen. I had to act immediately. But the good news first. I am safe and sound in my hiding place. Who knows, all the news organisations that carried the story of how I fled Zimbabwe last week following the death threats would by now probably have been writing about my death.[more]

The straight connection between the military and the media used to be that you first went to the state broadcaster to announce your coup d’etat. That was it - and the other media took the cue. The age of multi-party democracy has done away with this kind of straightforward relationship. In most African countries the government still determines what happens at the state - or now euphemistically called - “public” broadcaster. Nowadays the control is exerted in more subtle ways than by military means. But recently we can detect a more sinister development: The Return of the Military Man to the media sector through the back door.[more]

If you have been long enough in your field, you must have had the experience: There is a difficult area you have worked in for years with varying degrees of success. It’s complicated but important. Let’s say the field is media councils and the establishment of self-regulatory mechanisms against the continuous threat by governments to impose “media commissions” to control the press. Then a competitor enters your field, often one with a “U” as the first letter of its acronym. This competitor has all the good intentions of this world – and bags of money. Then UXXX or UYYYYY does a “needs analysis” which only too often means to ask stakeholders and local NGOs for their needs and to conveniently forget the analysis.[more]

You might know the problem. Your organisation wants to offer a workshop for parliamentarians. But then the representatives of the people prove to be rather elusive. And when you finally seem to get them to attend your particular workshop on media or other matters, they also prove expensive. “Per diem” is the word. It sounds Latin and holy, but it is Zimbabwean or Zambian and means – “we want to get additional money on top of our salaries to serve ourselves in the name of the people”.[more]