Western media assistance to Africa since the 1960s: Towards a liberal paradigm
The study investigates past and current foreign intervention in African media and journalism with the view to identify the frameworks which have guided media development since 1960. The aim of the study is to query whether today’s media assistance is accustomed to the criticism which has been posed throughout the years as a result of failed attempts in the past. The study consists of two parts: firstly, a broad literature review of media development in Sub-Saharan Africa since early interventions by UNESCO and others in the 1960s until today’s multifaceted media development ‘industry’. Secondly, a scrutiny of 26 evaluation reports of recent media development projects by Western agencies in 24 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with a view to describe current tendencies in African media intervention. The method for the second part is document analysis, where the reports are read critically in order to detect contemporary media development jargon, themes and approaches.
Media assistance is found to belong to five categories: journalism training and skills; infrastructure and institutional development (including direct support to media organizations); policy reform and media accountability (for example press councils); media support mechanisms (such as journalist unions, media advocacy organizations and press freedom day events); and higher education and research. The total volume of media assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa is uncertain, but the support coming from OECD countries to the region is likely to be around USD 100 million annually.
The overall conclusion of the study is that Western media assistance is increasingly reflecting a liberal paradigm, both on the overall media systems level and when it comes to favoured journalistic practices and ideologies. Media development programmes emphasize the democratic functions of the media and have as one of their main objectives to introduce and strengthen independent media. In terms of journalism ideology, professional standards are typically benchmarked against globally acknowledged principles such as accuracy, fairness, balance and objectivity. The preferred professional model is monitorial journalism, while interventionist, collaborative and locally inspired frameworks have little appeal. In the 60-year period covered by the study, the modernization and Africanization paradigms are found to have faded, while the liberal paradigm has become dominant.
Media assistance is found to belong to five categories: journalism training and skills; infrastructure and institutional development (including direct support to media organizations); policy reform and media accountability (for example press councils); media support mechanisms (such as journalist unions, media advocacy organizations and press freedom day events); and higher education and research. The total volume of media assistance to Sub-Saharan Africa is uncertain, but the support coming from OECD countries to the region is likely to be around USD 100 million annually.
The overall conclusion of the study is that Western media assistance is increasingly reflecting a liberal paradigm, both on the overall media systems level and when it comes to favoured journalistic practices and ideologies. Media development programmes emphasize the democratic functions of the media and have as one of their main objectives to introduce and strengthen independent media. In terms of journalism ideology, professional standards are typically benchmarked against globally acknowledged principles such as accuracy, fairness, balance and objectivity. The preferred professional model is monitorial journalism, while interventionist, collaborative and locally inspired frameworks have little appeal. In the 60-year period covered by the study, the modernization and Africanization paradigms are found to have faded, while the liberal paradigm has become dominant.
Publisert i Paper presented at the 10th European Communication Conference, 2024
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