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Media development pathways: A case study of the Media Institute of Southern Africa

Susan Abbott

London: Doctoral Thesis University of Westminster (2025), 222 pp.

"The purpose of this research project is to contribute to the academic and practitioner understanding of how donors impact the development of media systems in developing and transitioning countries. The study reflects on the evolution of donor strategies in media development over the past 30 years s ... ince 1989, highlighting several key trends [...] Early optimism about democratic transitions has waned, with media development now seen as a rescue operation. A clear definition of ‘democracy’ has become blurred, with autocrats co-opting the term, leading to growing scepticism about its true meaning. The cynicism about democracy is joined by a sense of naïve expectations in that donors once believed that funding free and independent media would automatically strengthen other democratic institutions. This assumption has been challenged as reality proved more complex. When it came to specific feedback on donor strategies, respondents shared that donor funding initially supported traditional media infrastructure. With the rise of the internet and digital media, strategies shifted to support the digital transformation of journalism. Respondents also note that donor strategies have often shifted with geopolitical interests, leaving media development in regions like Eastern Europe and Southern Africa in flux. Wars and political changes have diverted funds and attention, impacting the sustainability of media projects. There is criticism that donors lack a coherent long-term strategy or clear goals for media development related investments. Many rely on Western NGOs to devise strategies, leading to concerns about the effectiveness and sustainability of these efforts. Overall, the research undertaken underscores the need for more stable, well-defined, and strategically coherent donor approaches to support independent media development effectively. Finally, the study relayed concerns from local stakeholders that they feel there is a pressing need to localise practices and prioritize localisation to enhance long-term impact and sustainability. This dissertation focuses on the post-1989 context, which was significant for the spread of democracy following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the breakup of the Soviet Union, and the end of apartheid in Africa. This period, often called the third wave of democratisation, was marked by a belief in the inevitable spread of democracy and liberal democratic order. My research connects media development theories with practical applications in specific contexts examining how donor strategies affect journalism and press freedom, informed by scholarship on liberal democracy. The qualitative research, based on interpretivism/constructivism, probes donor impact on media space and evaluates program success, contributing to a theory of change in media development. The comparative research and grounded theory approach led to the development of a case study about the Media Institute of Southern Africa. Findings and analysis are drawn from the perspectives from donors, program beneficiaries, implementers, academics, and experts. The research interprets the legacy of donor-supported media development in the context of democratisation efforts by Western government aid agencies and foundations." (Abstract) more

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What is Next for Media Development?

Nicholas Benequista, Susan Abbott, Tawana Kupe, Fatima El-Issawi

Journal of Applied Journalism & Media Studies, volume 11, issue 2 (2022), pp. 135-140

"What comes next for media development? Though the contributors to this volume [i.e., the special issue focusing on international media development] provide answers from diverse perspectives, they each touch upon questions of agency and localization. The contributors investigate major issues with a ... more

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The People's Republic of China Soft Power Engagement, ICT Engagement, and Infrastructure Projects in Africa: Influence on Democratic Norms and Values

Jonas Bunte, Susan Abbott, Robert Wekesa et al.

Washington, DC: USAID (2022), iv, 120 pp.

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Media for Democracy Assessment Tool: Learning, Evaluation, and Research (LER) Activity
Key Guidance

Susan Abbott, Maureen Taylor, Michelle Foster, Joan Barata Mir

Washington, DC; Landover, MD: USAID; Cloudburst Group (2021), 93 pp.

"The purpose of the Media for Democracy Assessment Tool (MAT) is to assist United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in producing media assessments to inform strategy on media and democracy programming, help inform potential media development programming goals, and help provide an i ... more

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Redefining Media Development: A Demand-Driven Approach

Mark Nelson

In: International Media Development: Historical Perspectives and New Frontiers

Nicholas Benequista, Susan Abbott, Paul Rothman, Winston Mano (eds.)

New York et al.: Peter Lang (2019), pp. 30-41

"Media development specialists and activists need a concept of media development that understands and addresses the deeply political nature of the media as an institution. We also need a way to cope with rapidly changing technology and the media's increasingly global nature. Media development is as ... more

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Google Scholar (11)

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International Media Development: Historical Perspectives and New Frontiers
Top Insights

Nicholas Benequista, Susan Abbott, Paul Rothman, Winston Mano (eds.)

New York et al.: Peter Lang (2019), xv, 277 pp.

"This collection is the first of its kind on the topic of media development. It brings together luminary thinkers in the field—both researchers and practitioners—to reflect on how advocacy groups, researchers, the international community and others can work to ensure that media can continue to s ... more

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Media Development and the Market for Loyalties

Monroe E. Price

In: International Media Development: Historical Perspectives and New Frontiers

Nicholas Benequista, Susan Abbott, Paul Rothman, Winston Mano (eds.)

New York et al.: Peter Lang (2019), pp. 20-29

"My goal in this chapter is to place media development efforts within a specific frame: namely the actions of great strategic communicators (states, religions, transnational corporations, for example) as they seek to increase support for their general positions in the world. Development efforts can ... more

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The Future of Investigative Journalism: Global, Networked and Collaborative

Ellen Hume, Susan Abbott

[authors] (2017), 29 pp.

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Rethinking Public Service Broadcasting’s Place in International Media Development

Susan Abbott

Washington, DC: Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) (2016), 25 pp.

"Media markets are fragmented, audience consumption is siloed, the massive spread of media, entertainment, and news offerings has made it extremely important to set up public service media institutions that will be held to account and be responsible for living up to their public service obligations. ... more

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DRG Learning, Evaluation, and Research Activity: Mid-Term Performance Evaluation of the USAID Media Strengthening Program

Susan Abbott, Audra Grant, Renée Hendley

Washington, DC: USAID (2015), 64 pp.

"This report presents the findings of the Mid-Term Performance Evaluation of the Mozambique Media Strengthening Program (MSP), funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The MSP project, with a period of performance of June 10, 2012-June 11, 2017 and a budget of $9,978 ... more

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WorldCat (9)

Measures of Press Freedom and Media Contributions to Development: Evaluating the Evaluators
Top Insights

Monroe E. Price, Susan Abbott, Libby Morgan (eds.)

New York: Peter Lang (2011), vi, 343 pp.

"Press freedom indices such as those administered by Freedom House, IREX, and Reporters Without Borders have emerged as crucial tools, not only for the general public, but also for donors, implementers, and academics in their attempts to understand the relationships among media assistance, democrati ... more

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Evaluating Media Interventions in Conflict Countries: Toward Developing Common Principles and a Community of Practice

Amelia Arsenault, Sheldon Himelfarb, Susan Abbott

Washington, DC: United States Institute of Peace (USIP) (2011), 35 pp.

"A wide array of media development practitioners, donors, international broadcasters, and methodologists, all with extensive experience working in media initiatives in conflict environments met in Caux, Switzerland, in December 2010, to establish the Caux Guiding Principles, whose full text is in th ... more

Media for Democracy Assessment Tool: Learning, Evaluation, and Research (LER) Activity Key Guidance

International Media Development: Historical Perspectives and New Frontiers Top Insights

Measures of Press Freedom and Media Contributions to Development: Evaluating the Evaluators Top Insights

Media for Democracy Assessment Tool: Learning, Evaluation, and Research (LER) Activity
Key Guidance

International Media Development: Historical Perspectives and New Frontiers
Top Insights

Measures of Press Freedom and Media Contributions to Development: Evaluating the Evaluators
Top Insights