Due to the coronavirus crisis, MEDAS 21 fellow Michel Leroy had to interrupt his field trip to Uganda in March. He could at least stay for two weeks to conduct interviews with people working for different radio stations and with the local representatives from his practice partner, MICT. More interviews were supposed to be done, but Michel had to cancel all his appointments abruptly to go back to Europe be-fore the lockdown started.

Michel, what could you still do and find out in Uganda?
I started my field trip in the beginning of March with a tour up-country, to the Northern provinces. Afterwards, I came back to the capital for two days and spent the second week in the Western part of the country. Most of the radios in the provinces face a totally different reality than the ones in Kampala. In the North for example, at the border with South Sudan, there are a lot of refugees and international organizations working with them. The radios are impacted by their presence and try to make programs focusing on their realities and languages. At the border with Congo, hot topics are completely different. When I was there, radio programs dealt with the outbreak of the Ebola virus and gave advice on how to handle the disease. For me, that underlines why the term “proximity radios” is appropriate: The programs take the communities into account, they try to build and design projects and programs that are directly connected to the people.
The equipment is another proof of the radios’ diversity. Some of them only have a table, some garden chairs, and a single mic to do their work. Others – especially the religious ones – have more resources and can work in a fully equipped studio.
Also, people from diverse backgrounds can create radios stations: political leaders, people from the traditional kingdoms or from the main religious affiliations, individuals and so on.
Government officials are aware that most of the radio stations are not that professional but rather amateur. When I was in Uganda, I was given the figure of 312 stations throughout the country and it still increases. Sustainability is really a key issue for the national and local authorities, for the stations themselves and for the whole media development community. As they are considering all the issues that I am working on in my PhD, this was quite interesting for me. On the one hand, there is accountability: the regulators try to find a way to better organise the radio landscape. On the other hand, there is viability: the radio makers themselves want to generate more revenue. Sustainability is a tension be-tween both to better serve the radios’ public service towards the communities.

What are your greatest “lessons learned” during that trip?
Certainly, the most important one is that you need to cross-check everything while on the field. I spent a lot of time trying to find the original sources and the exact figures when I was told anything. The second one is directly connected to that: you need to be humble when doing a study like mine. People spend time with you, they lose some of their time in a way and they provide you with all the information you need. People in Uganda are really open, and after two weeks there, I was aware that I would really like to give them something back. The idea was to organise a feedback-conference during my planned second visit where I could present some of my provisional results on sustainability and revenue generation that could be of some use for them.
And the last one is for sure that you always need to be flexible and creative if your plans crash. Originally, I wanted to do a study on the sustainability of radio stations on a two-years-basis. I wanted to look at revenue generation from one year to another, to see which effects an additional number of commercials could have on professionalization. Now, with the pandemic, it is quite impossible to assess anything in the matter and I have to find an alternative methodology. I will deal with the same topic but in a different and hopefully resilient way!

How did you deal with the interruption of your field trip?
After my trip to the Western provinces, I came back to Kampala and discovered how dramatic the Covid19-situation was in Europe. I was supposed to stay two more weeks, but I decided to change my plans suddenly, as the rumours of a lockdown in France were about to be confirmed. I talked to my family and to my supervisor, rushed to the airplane office. Most of the planes were cancelled. I was obliged to take the last seat of the last plane to Europe before Uganda closed its airspace and I finally arrived exactly five minutes before the lockdown in France started.
And then I was locked down – not only at home, but also in my PhD. I spent time to finalise my literature review and related studies. To be honest, I was for a long time unable to come back to the notes that I had taken in Uganda. There was such a frustration on being forced to leave everybody so fast and to cancel the appointments with the academics, the project managers, the partners... It was only recently that I looked back at my notes and interviews, tried to rearrange everything and accepted the fact that it was the best option to interrupt my field trip. I am still connected to the people I met, and they actually face the same threat. It’s a good way to stay tuned with the evolution of the situation to better plan my coming back.

Michel still plans to go back to Uganda to continue his field research. So far, nobody knows when this will be possible again. The pandemic is still going on in Uganda as it started a bit later than in Europe. In the meantime, Michel works on different options to move forward and meet the deadline for his PhD in two years. 

One of MEDAS 21’s aim is to advance research on international media development as an academic field. A crucial aspect of this endeavor is university teaching. Students of media and communication are the upcoming generation of journalists, communication researchers or media policy advisors who will shape discussions on media development efforts and their implementation all over the world – be it in media outlets, NGOs, ministries, law offices, research centers, or think tanks. Therefore, it is hugely important to spark students’ interest in questions of media and development and to qualify them to be able to conduct sound analyses thereof.

The importance of teaching is clearly recognized by the members of the "media sector development" working group of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) in which MEDAS 21 engages. The group, and particularly its co-chairs Susan Abbott and Nicholas Benequista, is currently planning to make teaching a key topic of its pre-conference in the run-up to next year’s IAMCR conference. The goal is to encourage and improve teaching on media and development by enabling an exchange on key literature, syllabi and best practices.    

While quite some teaching activity is already underway at universities worldwide, there is not yet a comprehensive overview of who is teaching media and development where, focusing on what. To inform related discussions (such as those to be held at the "media sector development" working group’s pre-conference), MEDAS 21 has initiated an online collection of courses taught at institutions of higher education.

Contributions welcome!
The collection is open and can be extended by anyone who would like to contribute to a better overview of existing teaching courses. You can access it without having to log in or register.

We encourage you to take a look and add any higher education course you are aware of here.

MEDAS 21 is pleased to announce that the program recently became a member of the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD). The GFMD is a worldwide network of around 200 organizations active in journalism support and media assistance. "Joining the GFMD seemed like the most obvious thing to do considering our mission to bridge the gap between academic theory and practical application in media development", says Program Director Dr Ines Drefs. "The membership is a great opportunity to get in touch with practitioners from all around the world and learn from them. Of course, we also hope to contribute with insights from our research." Knowledge sharing among its members is facilitated by the many communication channels that the GFMD offers and not least by its dedicated secretariat. So far, the MEDAS fellows have joined various GFMD working groups (e.g. "Women in Media", "Local and Community Media" or "Research, Impact, and Learning") and look forward to presenting their research projects in member-only webinars later this year.   

While it is still early to take stock of the crisis engendered by the coronavirus, the outbreak phase of the epidemic is already showing the need to re-examine the sustainability of the media in all its dimensions, as Michel Leroy explains in an article on the Central African Republic, the second last country in the human development index. 

His article was published in French, English and German by the European Journalism Observatory, a network of 11 media research centres in 11 countries, in which the Erich Brost Institute for International Journalism participates.

                                                                                                                                                                                              A journalist from the pool                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         organised by Internews                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             reports from the town of Sibut. 

Internews is an international non-profit organisation that aims to build healthy media and information environments in countries where they are most needed. During a MEDAS 21 Web-Meeting on May 14, Dr Brice Rambaud, the Internews Regional Director for Africa, and the MEDAS 21 fellows engaged in lively discussions about the impact of media development assistance: How can it be measured, how evaluated?

Following Internews, there are five elements of healthy information environments: good information, business models that work, critical assessment, accountability and safe access. Starting with a so-called "information ecosystem analysis", Internews aims to examine a status-quo regarding these aspects (e. g. which information are needed, how does the information landscape look like, who are influencers). Afterwards, the organisation comes up with a performance monitoring plan comprising several performance indicators like the number of journalists trained to produce high-quality, local coverage or the number of youth and women trained in community radio development and programming. Methods like focus group discussion, content analysis or audience surveys can help to evaluate the impact of these measures. 

In the follow-up of Dr Rambaud’s presentation, the MEDAS 21 fellows concentrated on different topics like the difference between the two expressions impact and effect, the possibilities for small media development organisations to evaluate their journalism trainings or Internews’ projects in health journalism. As there are still many aspects to discuss, Dr Brice Rambaud will attend another MEDAS 21 meeting in a few months. 

MEDAS 21 fellow Mira Keßler has just returned to Kathmandu after her two-week stay in India. So far, she has visited media houses and met former employees of Panos South Asia to learn more about their cooperation with donors from Canada, but also about their projects in South Asia. She was able to visit the Kantipur Media Group (KMG) in Kathmandu and went to the photo award ceremony "Nepal Photo Contest 2020". In Delhi she had the opportunity to spend some time at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), which is known for its progressive students. Furthermore, she met and interviewed journalists who had received scholarships to complete international journalism training in Germany and England. In Chennai, she visited the Asian College for Journalism (ACJ) and talked to the colleagues about their programs. She attended a class, which is run by a BBC correspondent, and did participant observation. Moreover, she gained an insight into The Hindu in Chennai, one of India's largest English language daily newspapers. She learned something about the political tensions and progressive opposition to the Hindu nationalist movement. 

Mira, what is your current mood?

After four weeks in here with my practice partner and with so much new to learn, experience and understand, I have to admit that I am somewhat exhausted. In addition, there are the challenges of living and working in a different environment, everyday life and context. But I am very happy about what I experience and learn during this time and I am sure that these experiences will have an effect for a long time and will leave a lasting impression on me. And I am very grateful for the opportunity to explore the work of my practice partner and their network so openly. But this openness also suits the flexibility and the fluctuations of their work.

What was the most difficult experience so far?

For me, it is also this openness. So, when I arrived, I had no fixed plan, be it in terms of time, what to expect or with whom I would speak. All of this happened from day to day and to endure it is the biggest challenge for me. This requires a certain amount of trust and serenity. I also have the feeling that the political climate here is very tense and that there will be little or no opportunities for media development in the future. But I am sure that my stay will give me a unique opportunity to get to know and to better understand the perspective and moods of my colleagues here on site, whether through discussions, publications or the news. And that is precisely my approach.

What are your greatest "lessons learned"?

That openness and curiosity are the best means to explore other worlds of life and work, even if you do not understand the language. And that emotional ups and downs are not bad and belong to it. Self-care is also very important, to hold back from time to time, to go on your own pace and to rely on people you don't know. And I think it is important to get involved with the people on the ground. So, I live with locals and I also meet people from Kathmandu to eat with them, go to the cinema or to explore the city. I also went to a pre-school, for example, as I had the chance. Otherwise I would feel very isolated and too much "watching from the outside".

Altogether Mira will be in India and Kathmandu for five and a half weeks. After her return she has to adjust again and then she will sort, merge and analyze what she learned and experienced so far. Furthermore, she still has some writing and reading to do. 

The research centre “Entwicklungskommunikation – Communication for Social Change” (EC4SC) at the university of Leipzig aims to analyse communication processes (actors, structures, formats) that contribute to social change. During the MEDAS 21 Lab-Meeting in March, the coordinator Dr Kefa Hamidi presented the work of the research centre as well as approaches on how communication for social change might succeed. The three focus areas of EC4SC comprise participation, empowerment and mediation. But what is the difference between development communication, communication for social change and media development? Dr Kefa Hamidi and the MEDAS 21 fellows engaged in lively discussions about this issue. Moreover, they talked about opportunities for future cooperation – the fellows are for example developing a seminar on media development at the moment and could profit from Hamidi’s teaching experience in terms of media and development. 

MEDAS 21 fellow Johanna Mack spent two weeks in Bissau and interviewed different actors of the media sector in order to generate basic information about the media landscape. They will be merged in a mapping of the Guinea-Bissauan media system. For example, she talked to representatives of journalists' associations, of state, public and community media, a Portuguese broadcaster and news agency and the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office which offers assistance

to the media.

What is the biggest difference between researching in Bissau and

Germany for example?

A practical difference is that in Guinea-Bissau, it is not common to make

appointments a long time before a meeting shall take place. Rather, you just call and ask the people you want to meet if they are free on the same day. Moreover, the practice of journalism and the understanding of professionalism in the media sector is entirely different - mainly because of difficult working conditions for the journalists.

Which difficulties did you have to face?

Language is an issue because many people do not speak English or French, many not even Portuguese, but only Criollo and local languages. In addition, reaching media outlets outside the capital can be challenging. However, all my interview partners were very collaborative and ready to answer my questions.

What did you bring from Bissau?

I brought recordings and transcriptions of ca 25 interviews, as well as the current editions of local newspapers. In addition, the journey allowed me a better understanding of how journalists understand their work in Guinea-Bissau and how the media function there.

In the next months, Johanna will work on her theory and methodology. In particular, she will read about media system analysis and different theoretical approaches to (media) development.

MEDAS 21 fellow Viviane Schönbächler is currently spending her time in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. Since last November, she is carrying out her field research and her practice stay with her partner organization Eirene. In this first phase of field research, she wants to conduct an analysis of actors involved in local radios and also analyze their weekly programming with a special focus on gender and conflict coverage.

What did you do in Ouagadougou so far?

As for my practice stay with Eirene, I was asked to support their quest for an increased gender sensitivity in their Sahel program. Therefore, I conducted interviews with Eirene staff members, partner organizations, women journalists in the program and radio staff members of nine different local radio stations in Burkina Faso. And I collected more than 150 hours of radio programs. Moreover, I had the opportunity to participate in a regional seminar in Senegal, organized by Panos Institute West Africa, which discussed questions and approaches around gender-sensitive journalism.

What was the most interesting experience by now?

I found it very interesting how available women journalists in Niger were. Within three days, I was able to contact and conduct seven interviews without any difficulties. And despite the bad internet connection and some language barriers, these interviews were very rich and encouraging! The experience of conducting an interview through voice messages was also new and challenging for me.

The seminar with Panos West Africa was a great opportunity to meet and exchange with many women and men who are fighting for gender equality in the media.

What are your greatest "lessons learned"?

Always have a plan B and C and D ready! Everything can change, so be ready to adjust! This is particularly true in a difficult security situation. It also means, to be ready to adjust your methodology to the needs of the research participants. Where the situation is not stable, take concerns of anonymity, travelling constraints, and financial matters serious and be honest and straightforward with what you can and what you cannot do.

And provide for some buffer time! A week can pass very quickly and even though people in Burkina Faso are very spontaneous, it is also possible that spontaneously they will not be available for a week! Thanks to my buffer weeks, I was able to get the data I needed despite many delays and postponements.

Viviane will be back in Germany by mid-February. She plans to go back to the field in late March 2020 for the second phase, in which she will focus on the experience of women journalists in their daily work at these radio stations. And of course, she will continue to analyze the data collected so far as well as her analysis of Eirene’s Sahel program. Moreover, she will finish a draft report, which will be further developed in a next phase of practice stay in August-October 2020.

On Nov 28-29, 2019, Michel Leroy, one of Medas21's PhD candidates and research assistant at the Erich-Brost-Institute, was in charge of leading through the Catholic Media Council's jubilee celebration in Aachen as "master of ceremony".

For 50 years, Cameco has been a major player in media development. Its library is one of the richest in the sector.

On the occasion of its anniversary, media specialists from all over the world came together for a conference on the topic “Communicating from and with the margins.”

Three main questions were addressed:  How to better address the needs of marginalised groups? How can communication initiatives become more sustainable? And how can good practices be upscaled?

The annual symposium of the „Forum Medien und Entwicklung“ (FoME) is Germany’s most important gathering of people active in the field of media development. No wonder that the MEDAS 21 fellows were high in number at this year’s symposium which took place from Nov 7-8, 2019, in Bonn. Johanna Mack, Viviane Schönbächler, Stefan Wollnik, Roja Zaitoonie and Michel Leroy (pictured from left to right with MEDAS 21 coordinator Ines Drefs) seized the event as an opportunity to catch up with practice partners such as Catholic Media Council, Foundation Hirondelle, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and DW Akademie. The range of media development practitioners, journalists and academics present at the symposium also allowed to make new contacts and to gain insights into innovative technologies and approaches to media development in the new information ecosystem.

The new research program MEDAS 21 – Global Media Assistance in the 21st Century started on 8th November 2018 with a successful inaugural lecture in the Erich-Brost-Institute for international journalism (EBI). For the next four years, the structured doctoral program will focus on media development cooperation and is supported by VolkswagenStiftung with about 1,7 million euro. MEDAS 21 is one of only eight supported research schools in Germany that is located at the intersection of university theory and practical application. 

Not only guests and friends of the Brost-Institute but also students and teachers of the Institute for journalism had the chance to listen to an exciting presentation of Dr Roukaya Kasenally, keynote speaker that evening. As CEO of the African Media Initiative, she could give a brief overview of the current developments, problems and discussions about media development cooperation. 

Dr Kasenally put an emphasis on the question of sustainability and efficiency of media cooperation between African and European countries and outlined possible financing and business models. Talking about the related quality requirements, she underlined the challenges media have to face due to the digitalisation of markets and the public sphere. In her opinion, African media need to develop an “African vocabulary” in order to fulfil their growing social responsibility – at that point, international partnerships should take over a leading position. These partnerships needed to act in a less competitive but a more cooperative and constructive way to promote a self-determined and sustainable media landscape. 

The director of the EBI and main notifier of the project, Prof Dr Susanne Fengler, is looking forward to new horizons MEDAS 21 will open: “The support of the VolkswagenStiftung is an extremely positive development. It is and will remain a difficult task to develop successful media companies and foster a public-oriented journalism. Effective media cooperation can thus contribute to boost media potentials.” At the same time, success is not granted. “It is conspicuous that there is no scientific organisation dealing with media development cooperation even though it is a huge topic that has to face lots of complex problems”, says Fengler. “That’s what we want to do in our new research program: promote the dialogue between science and professional practice, concentrate our knowledge, evaluate current developments and offer our results to the responsible media and communication officers in development institutions.” Due to that idea, science will remain at the pulse of social necessity. 

Background:

The VolkswagenStiftung supports the structured doctoral program MEDAS 21 – under the auspices of the TU Dortmund’s Institute for Journalism (IF) – with 1,7 million euro. The principal goal of the foundation is to ensure closer ties between theoretical approaches and practical relevance in the education of doctoral students. Besides Prof Dr Susanne Fengler (TU Dortmund), Prof Dr Barbara Thomaß (Ruhr-Universität Bochum) and Prof Dr Jens Loenhoff (Universität Duisburg-Essen) initiated the project. Dr Dirk-Claas Ulrich (EBI, TU Dortmund) conceived the research school and is scientific program director. The team of scientists has already cooperated in the context of the graduate program “School of International and Intercultural Communication | SIIC”, supported by MERCUR. The school focuses on current developments in media development cooperation under changed technological and political conditions. Furthermore, the seven PhDs have the chance to work up to one year in a cooperating foundation or NGO. Project partners are Deutsche Welle Akademie, Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), African Media Initiative (AMI), Media Cooperation and Transition (MiCT) as well as the Catholic Media Council (CAMECO) and the Swiss Fondation Hirondelle.