"The collection of stories presented here aims to highlight the impact of the MDP's (Multi-Donor Programme on Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists) MDP’s actions over the course of this challenging year. Through testimonies from beneficiaries and partners who aspire to improve freedom o
...
f expression and access to information locally, you will learn about the MDP’s multifaceted emergency response to the COVID-19 crisis. Through capacity building, the MDP supported journalists in several countries to learn how to protect their physical and mental health while reporting on the pandemic. This emergency response also involved ensuring local communities’ access to reliable information through support to community media, bolstering citizens’ resilience to the disinfodemic through Media and Information Literacy programmes, as well as journalism education through a global MOOC on debunking disinformation and reporting on the health crisis in a factual, scientific manner." (Editorial, page 2)
more
"With over 309 licensed radio stations, numerous public and private TV stations, and rapid growth in internet accessibility and usage, the media landscape in Uganda is dynamic, diverse, and rapidly evolving. Ugandans across the country from rural villages to urban centers are presented increasingly
...
with more channels to meet their wide-ranging information needs. While radio remains the dominant medium of information for both women and men across Uganda, there remains enormous divides across the country that fuel unequal access to information and media consumption behaviors. The media sector is further challenged by poorly skilled media professionals, low quality journalism, a complex regulatory environment that is often not understood by media professionals and broadcasters, and high levels of self-censorship. The COVID-19 pandemic has both cemented the media’s position as an essential service provider, as well as challenged the sector, affecting advertising revenue, employment, the quality and quantity of content production, and the ability to meet the information needs of their audiences." (Publisher description)
more
"En el Perú al igual que en muchos otros países, la principal medida para mitigar el avance de la pandemia de Covid-19 fue el confinamiento social y la inmovilización obligatoria, acciones que llevaron al cierre temporal de diversos sectores, causando una crisis económica cuan cada en una caíd
...
a aproximada de 11.5% del PBI respecto al año 2019. En concordancia con esto, las empresas postergaron el lanzamiento de sus campañas y re raron gran parte de los presupuestos asignados a la publicidad, como resultado de esto, la inversión publicitaria para el 2020 llegó a los US$ 442 millones, 24.2% menos que año anterior, en el cual la inversión alcanzó los US$ 583 millones." (Página 1)
more
"El presente documento recoge la sistematización de la experiencia de adaptación de los medios de comunicación comunitaria de la red CORAPE (Coordinadora de Medios Populares y Educativos) a una nueva manera de hacer radio durante la emergencia sanitaria COVID-19, y cómo logró implementar, en po
...
cas semanas, el proyecto educomunicacional Pasaporte Educativo, dirigido a la atención de familias, niñas, niños y adolescentes de comunidades indígenas, rurales y urbanas del país, a través de una alianza estratégica con el Fondo de las Naciones Unidas para la Infancia (UNICEF). El objetivo de este producto es documentar esa experiencia y compartir con los comunicadores y medios de comunicación públicos, privados y comunitarios cómo se desarrolló todo el proceso. Proceso que fue exitoso, en gran parte, gracias a los atributos propios de la comunicación comunitaria, como la participación, el contacto cercano con la comunidad y el trabajo en minga. Por otra parte, el documento muestra que la comunicación con un enfoque social, en este caso de atención a la infancia, puede implementarse de manera emergente con excelentes resultados, si existe la voluntad y el compromiso de personas e instituciones." (Presentación)
more
"A quick review of the media status in Palestine indicates that the restrictions and general measures that accompanied the spread of the epidemic will lead to the suspension of many independent/private media outlets, as a result of the interruption of their main source of income, represented in the
...
already scarce advertisements. This will cause a serious blow to pluralism and undermine the contexts and trends of public media coverage of various issues, at the forefront of which the controversial issues, which may pave the way for a single-opinion media in Palestine.The matter here is not only limited to the opportunities of continuity and survival from the financial challenges that independent/private media organizations will face, but also extends to one of the most important pillars of press, pluralism and freedom. It is not possible to address the concept of free media apart from pluralism, which (if absent) will lead to the lack of accountability and criticism on the media’s agenda, and the absence of a very important platform for public debate, which will deprive the public of an important opportunity to participate and influence public issues and policies. Some of the general measures imposed during this crisis (not only in Palestine but in various countries) indicate a more difficult and limited working environment that the media may be influenced by once the emergency state and the crisis end. Among the important questions raised in this regard is that idolizing the Government and Security Services (even the health staff ) in connection with their role as part of their duty, will affect the opportunities for the media to account and criticize the Government, Security Services and the health sector after the end of the pandemic." (Pages 4-5)
more
"In June 2020, MDIF conducted a survey of 36 Myanmar media outlets to gather information about the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses between March and May. They represent a mix of national media, as well as local media from the ethnic states and regions. Their operations are of various sizes: t
...
hree media have 70-150 staff, 7 have 20-69, and 26 have 1-19. All the media surveyed felt the impact of COVID-19 almost immediately. Not surprisingly, as this has generally been the experience of media worldwide, commercial revenue decline was often dramatic: half of the survey respondents reported more than a 75% drop inincome. This is, though, significantly greater than the 40-60% decline that media companies MDIF is working with elsewhere around the world have experienced. Thirty-two of the 36 respondents had advertising revenue prior to the start of the pandemic, and all of them reported that it was negatively affected. All 19 media with print products were obliged to either reduce or even halt production. In response to collapsing revenues, 31 of the 36 survey respondents instituted spending cuts between March and May including, in some cases, cutting salaries and staff." (Introduction)
more
"This report briefly examines the phenomenon of fake news in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Anglophone West Africa. It specifically addresses the following areas: fake news trends; how the phenomenon has impacted the work of the media and the fight against the pandemic; measures taken so fa
...
r (by government, media, development partners, others) to address the spread of the phenomenon; and recommendations on the way forward." (Page 1)
more
"Three notable trends punctuated an especially dismal year for internet freedom. First, political leaders used the pandemic as a pretext to limit access to information. Authorities often blocked independent news sites and arrested individuals on spurious charges of spreading false news. In many plac
...
es, it was state officials and their zealous supporters who actually disseminated false and misleading information with the aim of drowning out accurate content, distracting the public from ineffective policy responses, and scapegoating certain ethnic and religious communities. Some states shut off connectivity for marginalized groups, extending and deepening existing digital divides. In short, governments around the world failed in their obligation to promote a vibrant and reliable online public sphere. Second, authorities cited COVID-19 to justify expanded surveillance powers and the deployment of new technologies that were once seen as too intrusive. The public health crisis has created an opening for the digitization, collection, and analysis of people’s most intimate data without adequate protections against abuses. The third trend has been the transformation of a slow-motion “splintering” of the internet into an all-out race toward “cyber sovereignty,” with each government imposing its own internet regulations in a manner that restricts the flow of information across national borders." (Pages 1-2)
more
"En tiempos de pandemia los medios de comunicación comunitarios profundizan sus prácticas históricas y ratifican los objetivos fundacionales. Entre las reflexiones bienintencionadas de la época es recurrente la idea de “salir mejores” del aislamiento social. En lo referente al vínculo, uso,
...
consumo y participación ciudadana en y con los medios de comunicación hay una oportunidad de reconocer a las radios y televisoras comunitarias como espacios de construcción democrática donde ejercer el derecho a la comunicación puede ser una práctica cotidiana." (Página 1)
more
"The bulk of this report is based on data collected by a survey of more than 80,000 people in 40 markets and reflects media usage in January/February just before the coronavirus hit many of these countries. But the key trends that we document here, including changes in how people access news, low tr
...
ust, and rising concern about misinformation have been a backdrop against which journalists, editors, politicians, and public health officials have been battling to reach ordinary people with key messages over the last few months.We know that this crisis has substantially increased the amount and frequency of news consumption as well as influenced attitudes to the news media, at least temporarily. We’ve captured this in a second set of polling data collected in April when the crisis was at its peak in some countries. This has helped us to see the impact of the crisis in terms of sources of news and also reminded us of the critical role that the news media play at times of national crisis, including documenting that people who rely on news media are better informed about the virus than those who do not. While many media companies have been enjoying record audience figures, news fatigue is also setting in, and the short-term and long-term economic impact of the crisis is likely to be profound – advertising budgets are slashed and a recession looms, threatening news media, some of whom are struggling with adapting to a changing world. Against this background, this year’s report also focuses on the shift towards paying for online news in many countries across the world, with detailed analysis of progress in three countries (the UK, USA, and Norway). This year, our report carries important data about the extent to which people value and trust local news, perhaps the sector most vulnerable to the economic shocks that will inevitably follow the health crisis itself. And we also explore the way people access news about climate change as well as attitudes to media coverage for the first time." (Foreword)
more
"New technologies have opened several risks to safety of journalists. More importantly, in the state of emergency caused by the Covid-19 outbreak, journalists and media actors have shifted their activities online more than ever, which also made them more prone to digital threats and attacks. In some
...
regimes there are even organized intimidation campaigns against political opponents causing chilling effect and self-censorship, and jeopardizing freedom of expression in general. Hungary as a member of the European Union since 2004 and Serbia as a leading candidate to join the EU are two countries where the problems and concerns about media freedom is growing every day. The fear from the unknown during the international pandemic gave opportunity to some governments to hide their real political agendas and cover their desire for the 'good-old-fashioned' censorship. The number of countries where some kind of censorship could be found is growing every day. The authors will show two country-case-studies from Hungary and Serbia, where the leaders and the political situations are very similar and could show a (good or bad) example to other countries that would like to follow the illiberal views on media issues." (Abstract)
more
"This paper investigated media personnel employers’compliance with safety and protection of professionals in charge of dissemination of information whenever their assignments take them to places where their lives could be at risk. The occupational safety and health convention spells out the requir
...
ements that employers of labour are expected to fulfill in order to protect workers at the front line of disease of epidemic or pandemic proportions as contained in the International Labour Organisations Convention. The paper has four sections that include, introduction, literature review and analysis. Interview was used as data collection instrument. The primary data was relied upon. The qualitative data was analysed in themes. This paper argued that Health correspondent have a duty to protect themselves when at the frontline in order save their lives and that of their colleagues and their family. All safety precautions have to be adhered to. Their employers too are expected to give them all necessary kits to adhere to the safety precautions." (Abstract)
more
"Todo se inició, en verdad, cuando tuve el encargo, en mi calidad de consultor internacional, de realizar una serie de entrevistas en torno a la desinformación en Venezuela con expertos venezolanos en temas comunicacionales y políticos. Las transcripciones de aquellas notas de voz, que se hiciero
...
n en respuesta a unas mismas preguntas aplicadas a los consultados de seguidas, me parecieron sumamente pertinentes. Entonces pensé que no se debían quedar solamente como material base para la elaboración de un proyecto. Así surgió la idea de este libro heterodoxo. Tenía un grupo de respuestas y refl exiones que me parecían pertinentes para la divulgación pública. Esto ha cobrado forma como la primera parte de este libro. La desinformación, por otro lado, pasó a ser un asunto que he ido abordando con mayor énfasis en 2020, y que espero pueda seguir siendo foco de mi interés analítico. Si bien había abordado el fenómeno en años anteriores, es desde el año de esta obra, teniendo a la pandemia como telón de fondo, en que comencé a mirarlo con más atención. Terminó de empujarme la gentil solicitud que me hicieron Paula Quinteros y Omar Lugo, fundadora-propietaria y director del sitio web de noticias El Estímulo, respectivamente, quienes me solicitaron una serie de artículos sobre la desinformación en Venezuela. En total, escribí diez textos periodísticos. En cada artículo, utilicé informes o documentación específi ca que me ayudará a sustentar la óptica específi ca expresada en cada texto. Decidí tomar esos artículos, que ofrecen diversas aristas relacionadas con cómo se vive la desinformación en Venezuela, para conformar una segunda parte de este libro." (Página 7-8)
more
"Correspondents in nine countries – Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, and North Macedonia – have analysed how the pandemic has affected to their work environment. Lockdowns have caused print media sales and advertising revenue to collapse. Media w
...
ith wealthy benefactors or state support are better placed to survive impending economic hardships. Various emergency laws and provisions allowed governments increased control over public information. In several cases, these enabled officials to evade scrutiny and attack journalists whose reporting challenged official statistics and the effectiveness of crisis measures." (Page 1)
more
"Sierra Leone continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic through the dissemination of information across various platforms. The media have generally been supportive in providing the public with information and education about COVID-19. However, media owners and managers continue to raise concerns
...
about difficulties in running their institutions amidst COVID-19. Some media institutions have started rotational work schedules to cope with the lack of resources to pay staff. The situation has left media institutions worried about their sustainability during the outbreak of COVID-19 and beyond. The Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) was able to secure some support for training of journalists and some financial support for radio and television stations and newspapers for broadcasting and publishing contents on COVID-19. This is, however, not enough given the enormity of the economic impact on the media industry. It is, therefore, recommended that the government of Sierra Leone put in place financial relief packages to support the media in the country in these trying times." (Conclusion)
more