Over 80 people attended CIMA’s discussion on the monitoring and evaluation of media assistance projects. In recent years, the process of monitoring and evaluation of assistance projects, or M&E, has received increased attention from both donors, who want to know if their money has been well spent, and implementers, who want to know their programs have met expectations. Adapting M&E practices to media projects is an ongoing process, and no two organizations in the media development sector share the same methods. In Good, But How Good? Monitoring and Evaluation of Media Assistance Projects, Andy Mosher discusses the importance of M&E in media development projects and shows that despite different approaches among practitioners, similar tools and techniques exist. Read more »

IREX’s 2009 Media Sustainability Index for Europe and Eurasia provides an in-depth analysis of the strength and viability of the independent media sector in 21 countries of Europe and Eurasia during 2008 and shows trends in the media sector since 2001. To arrive at its rankings, the MSI considered a number of factors, such as journalists’ professionalism, management capabilities, and the legal environment supporting freedom of the press, among others. Its scores represent the strength of media sector components and can be analyzed over time to chart progress or regression in a country. The MSI was first conceived in 2000 and launched in 2001, in cooperation with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Leon Morse, IREX’s project manager for the MSI Europe and Eurasia, gave a brief overview of the MSI methodology and discuss some of its findings, including: trends in professionalism and the impact of small markets on journalism quality; threats to the media sector in both the new democracies and reform holdouts, and; and analysis of MSI results since 2001. Panelists Meg Gaydosik and Elez Biberaj discussed the challenges to press freedom that journalists experience in the region. Nadia Diuk moderated the event. Read more »

According to Empowering Independent Media, CIMA’s inaugural report on U.S. media assistance to developing countries, free media play an integral role in fostering democracy and development, and have the ability to transform a number of critical areas, including government accountability, empowerment of women and minorities, and education. As governments and foundations have increasingly embraced the role of democratization in development, they have begun to direct more assistance into independent media in their efforts to hold governments accountable, foster free and fair elections, and strengthen civil society. As Developing Radio Partners notes, independent radio stations, in particular, have attracted increased funding in recent years. The dominant communication medium in much of the world, radio is inexpensive, available to citizens at all levels of society, including the illiterate, and due to its pervasiveness, is well-placed to reach out and give voice to marginalized groups. How does radio play a fundamental role in democracy and development? How can civil society organizations tap into its potential more effectively? In the advent of broadband, text messaging, and other new information technologies, is radio still a relevant medium in which stakeholders should invest? The speakers explored these questions and examined radio’s role as a vital communication tool in promoting democracy.

To download the video of this event, click here.

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