"The survey discovers that the Albanian public, in its overwhelming majority, considers that the media has great importance for the democracy of a country. However, although they recognize the very important role of the media vis-à-vis democracy, about half of respondents say that Albanian media ha
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ve served democracy and public interest somewhat.The surveyed Albanian public also considers that media in Albania are partially free. This perception and evaluation are in line with Freedom House and other international institutions, which classify Albanian media as partially free. Respondents said that the three greatest problems for Albanian media are: 1. Bias, partisanship, and political clientelism; 2. dependence on business interests of media owners, and 3. verbal violence and physical threats toward journalists. The prevalence of such very serious problems for the functioning of the media and the fulfillment of its public mission explains the fact why Albanian media are partially free. On the other hand, the presence of such issues at the top of the list of problems demonstrates serious shortcomings and challenges with regard to aspects of their freedom and independence." (Summary)
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"The Global NGO Technology Report is a biennial research project that seeks to gain a better understanding of how non-governmental organizations (NGOs) worldwide use technology. Sponsored by Funraise and produced by Nonprofit Tech for Good, the report examines how NGOs use web and email communicatio
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ns, online fundraising tools, social media, mobile technology, and productivity software. Now in its fourth edition, this year’s report provides technology benchmarks for Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States and Canada. A global average of the benchmark data—as well as Global NGO Technology Ratings—is also provided." (Page 3)
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"This study has reconfirmed that the challenges facing media women still persist. The glass ceiling is still intact. There are still fewer women in decision making position than man. Women are more likely to be paid less than their male counterparts and upward mobility is very small. Situations wher
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e women are asked favours so that they can have stories published or get choice assignments is a reality among media women. It is still difficult for trained women journalists to get employment in media outlets than men even though more women are graduating from tertiary colleges and universities. Although the propensity to get cheap labour and hence less educated journalists also involves male journalists but the cards are much more stacked against women." (Executive summary, page 2)
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"Covering traumatic story assignments is often central to a journalist’s job. Violent crimes, natural disasters, and tragic personal struggles—these are newsworthy events. Studies have associated trauma coverage with higher rates of posttraumatic stress disorder, burnout, and other traumatic str
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ess symptoms in reporters. This study uses a survey of print journalists (N = 254) and qualitative interview data to examine the extent that higher education journalism programs helped prepare reporters for covering trauma. Respondents who reported receiving some type of education about trauma journalism reported higher levels of trauma literacy, defined as an awareness of the potential effects of trauma and adaptive coping mechanisms. Results indicate the power of education to produce more prepared journalists. More than half (53%) of respondents reported never having received any type of education related to crisis reporting or covering trauma. A subset of respondents (n = 24) from the sample were interviewed about the extent of their journalism education, their experiences covering traumatic assignments, and their feelings of preparedness on the job." (Abstract)
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"Journalists are often first responders and eyewitnesses to violent news events. Trauma reporting can take its toll, resulting in mental health effects. Addressing the solution requires understanding the problem. This multimethod study used a national survey of journalists (N = 254) that shows that
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as trauma coverage frequency and intensity increase, so does the severity of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. In-depth interviews offer personal narratives of effects from traumatic reporting. Common coping mechanisms include disconnecting from work in various ways, purging emotions, talking about trauma, and remembering their jobs’ higher purposes. Suggestions include humanizing the newsroom and teaching about trauma reporting." (Abstract)
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"Mobile phone surveys are increasingly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries. The main modes include computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI), interactive voice response (IVR), and short message service (SMS, or text messaging). But there is surprisingly little research to guide resea
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rchers in selecting the optimal mode for a particular survey. To address this gap, this study compares cross-sectional CATI, IVR, SMS, and face-to-face (FTF) surveys of the general population in Nigeria. We ask four research questions: (1) What are production and response rates to CATI, IVR, SMS, and FTF surveys? (2) How representative (age, gender, education, marital status, literacy, household assets, urbanicity) are CATI, IVR, and SMS respondents relative to FTF respondents? (3) Can IVR and SMS provide an unbiased estimate of voting behavior? If there is bias, to what extent can weights reduce bias? (4) How does the cost and time differ across mobile phone survey modes? We find that FTF had the highest response rate (99%), followed by CATI (15%), IVR (3%) and SMS (0.2%). All mobile phone modes had substantial deficiencies with representativeness: mobile phones underrepresented women, older people, the less educated, and people in rural areas. There were differences in representativeness among mobile phone modes, but differences were relatively small and inconsistent. Both SMS and IVR produced biased estimates of voting relative to official statistics—but SMS was less biased than IVR. Weighting SMS and IVR data for demographic characteristics did not reduce bias. With regard to cost, we find that CATI is the most expensive mobile phone survey mode. For a survey of 3,000 completes, IVR is 43% the cost of CATI, and SMS is 24% the cost of CATI. SMS is significantly less expensive than IVR. We discuss the implications of these results for research and practice." (Abstract)
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"This article begins by describing the recently created classifications of elements of constructive journalism and present examples of the media profession applying these elements. Constructive journalism draws on behavioural sciences, specifically positive psychology. From this, it is assumed that
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including constructive elements such as solution orientation, future orientation, depolarising techniques and seeking co-creation with the public contribute to the well-being of individuals as well as society. Following a public-oriented perspective, audience research is performed to understand how people value the incorporation of constructive elements in the news. Using an online survey, data were gathered from 3263 people in the Netherlands, aged 20–65. Results show an overall positive valuation, with some constructive elements appreciated more than others. Age, educational background and news interest seem to play a role in the nature of this valuation." (Abstract)
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"There is an increasing amount written on the decline of professional journalism around the world. One of the factors that are used to illustrate the decline of journalism is the interaction and collaboration between journalists and public relations (PR) practitioners in the production of mass media
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news content. On a theoretical and conceptual level, the aims and goals of the two professions are quite different, even though there are a number of superficial similarities between these forms of mass communication. Studies of the interaction between journalism and PR in the United States reveal a certain underlying tension, yet simultaneous mutual dependency. An indicative survey was conducted across different cities in the Russian Federation to understand the perception of professional journalists and PR practitioners on the current level of interaction between their professions. The answers were remarkably similar and reveal a deep concern for the direction of journalism, which many viewed as being subordinated to PR." (Abstract)
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"GFMD members welcome the international recognition of media and journalism issues within the overall international development agenda, noting the common language it provides and the accountability tool it may offer towards encouraging governments (including donor countries) to live up to their comm
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itments. Some members caution, however, that there are risks in viewing 16.10, and the SDGs in general, both too broadly and too narrowly. This includes, for example, the wider parameters of access to information – which applies not only to journalists, but to civil society organisations, citizens, and others – as well as a danger that access to information might overshadow attention to violence agai nst journalists. Others suggest that 16.10 should be seen in the overall context of Goal 16 – that is: peace, justice, and public institutions – to ensure that media-related assistance continues to look at the fuller enabling environment of laws, policies, and actors that ensure plurality, safety, and viability. Furthermore, some GFMD members caution against getting stuck in the “silo” of 16.10. These members remind of the need to demonstrate that media and information are not just rights in and unto themselves, but they can also be enabling rights for others – such as gender equality and the environment – and thus important and relevant for the whole SDG agenda. This does not suggest instrumentalising media for the sake of contributing to other SDGs, but rather strengthening the role of media in serving as a watchdog, holding governments accountable, informing the public, providing a voice for the voiceless, and offering a platform for debate.10 The leading concern about an SDG approach, however, is that it is ill-suited for authoritarian governments that not only reject the international development agenda, but also international standards on human rights." (Conclusions)
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"This Information Ecosystem Assessment builds on the previous study conducted by Internews and the Emergency Telecoms Sector in late 2017. It targets both refugee and host communities, through an extensive quantitative survey and select Focus Group Discussions. The standout change between the two As
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sessments is the dramatic increase in the number of refugees who say they now have enough information to make decisions about their daily lives: the percentage jumped from 23% in 2017 to 92% in the recent study. This is evidence that the efforts to provide information, by Internews, BBC Media Action, Translators Without Borders, and a range of humanitarian organisations, has had real impact in meeting information needs. Upon close examination, however, the increase is not a straightforward win. Large numbers of refugees still report confusion over how to access several services and meet basic needs, with 40% saying they were unsure how to obtain more or better food. Similarly large percentages needed information about financial support, water supplies aid registration general information about events around the camps, what was happening in Myanmar / Rakhine, and long-term options for their and their children’s futures. As discussed in the report, it is possible that refugees don’t identify the lack of answers to these questions as an ‘information gap’ that affects their ability to make decisions, but rather a simple lack of options that better information can’t resolve." (Executive summary)
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"This mapping of the Myanmar media development sector is informed by three activities: a status update of the recommendations in the 2016 Assessment of Media Development in Myanmar report based on UNESCO’s Media Development Indicators, an online survey conducted in March and April 2018, and a seri
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es of key informant interviews and focus group discussions. The two Top 10 lists of priority areas – the first for the Union Government and the second for media donors and implementers – are informed by the research findings." (Executive summary)
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"Very few international news organisations routinely cover humanitarian affairs. Only 12 news outlets reported on all four of the humanitarian events we analysed in 2016. Because of the high costs of producing regular, original journalism on humanitarian issues, commercial news organisations do not
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usually cover humanitarian issues, with the exception of major ‘emergencies’. Most humanitarian journalism is now funded by states or private foundations. This is worrying because claiming that particular actors or activities are ‘humanitarian’ is a powerful form of legitimacy. It is important that media about the suffering does not become a vehicle for commercial or political interests. A major challenge of foundation funding is its unsustainable nature, as most foundations want to provide start-up money, rather than giving ongoing support. Meanwhile government funding can constrain where and how humanitarian reporting takes place because of foreign policy objectives and diplomatic tensions." (Executive summary)
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"The results of the questionnaire showed that most Palestinian organizations do think about and deal with media work in general. Since ninety-three percent of the organizations surveyed were already dealing with media, while 58% employed at least one person in a specialist position. Only 32% had a s
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pecialized department dedicated to media work. In terms of a specific strategic approach to media, 61% of the organizations who took part in the questionnaire had a strategic plan for dealing with media; 51% had an annual work plan. However, only 42% stated that they allocated an annual budget for media. In other words, they used funds which are not deducted from project grants. Turning to social media usage, we found that 70% of the organizations tried to finance content through their networks at least once, whereas fifty-four percent of the organizations launched digital awareness campaigns on social media platforms; forty-nine percent of these digital campaigns were part of a media plan. Looking at the prevalence of social media platforms and how they are most widely used, we found that all organizations, even the ones with no website, usually had a Facebook account. In fact, 100% of the organizations surveyed had a Facebook account, hence this was not subject to testing in relation to the other influencing factors. YouTube followed with 75% of the organizations having an account. Fifty-one percent of the organizations had a Twitter account, while 27% had an Instagram account and 18% had a LinkedIn account. Two of the organizations used Soundcloud and two others used Flickr. Vimeo and Google+ were only used by a single organization for each one." (Results and conclsions, page 56-7)
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"The objective of the current study was to determine the frequency and severity of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in journalists covering conflict. Methods: PTSD data (Impact of Event Scale-Revised) collected over an 18-year period from 684 conflict journalists were analyzed retros
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pectively for frequency and severity of reexperiencing, avoidance, and arousal symptoms. Conflicts covered were civil wars in the Balkans ( n = 140 journalists), 9/11 attack in New York City ( n = 46), Iraq war ( n = 84), Mexico drug wars ( n = 104), civil war in Syria ( n = 59), Kenya election violence/Al-Shabab terror ( n = 57), state-sanctioned media intimidation in Iran ( n = 114), and the current migration crisis in Europe ( n = 80).
Results: The mean age of the sample was 38.59 (SD = 8.35) years, 461 (67%) journalists were men, and the mean duration of conflict work was 13.42 (SD = 7.74) years. The 5 most frequently endorsed symptoms were in the reexperiencing/intrusion category. Mean intrusion (1.31, SD = 0.97), avoidance (1.08, SD = 0.89), and arousal (1.07, SD = 0.96) scores for the entire sample were in the mild range. Being female and less educated independently predicted PTSD symptoms.
Conclusions: PTSD phenomenology in a group of conflict journalists with well over a decade of frontline experience is dominated by reexperiencing symptoms. While symptom severity is for the most part mild, group means can obscure those individuals with significantly more severe difficulties." (Abstract)
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"This study combines two research methods to explore how female leaders are portrayed in the news in Vietnam, and Vietnamese journalists’ perception of female and male leaders. Content analysis indicated that female leaders are under- and misrepresented. Female leader sources seldom appear in the
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news. When they do, they are more likely to be interviewed on traditionally feminine issues. Survey findings demonstrated that gender stereotypes are pervasive among journalists, influencing their perception of news sources. Journalists believe male sources possess stronger work-oriented and agentic traits while female sources are more socially oriented and communal. Results confirmed role congruity theory’s applicability in studying media in a non-Western country." (Abstract)
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"1. Political parties and their supporters should concentrate more on issues-based campaign messages than hate campaign messages capable of demeaning personalities, religious/ethnic beliefs as well as ethnicity. 2. Political parties and their candidates should focus more on issue of importance to na
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tional development than mere image projection. 3. The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), political parties, civil society groups and other stakeholders should promote media and information literacy to enable better deployment of user generated contents that foster democracy and the democratization process. 4. Political parties and candidates should optimise the numerous opportunities (of cost-effectiveness, reach, immediacy, citizens’ engagement, etc.) offered by the rising popularity of new media. 5. Continuous voter education is crucial for the citizens to be more critical in the electoral choices [...]" (Conclusions and recommendations, page 6-7)
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"Throughout the 2000’s, NGOs experimented with promoting “Donate Now” buttons and online donation pages, and through a process of trial and error, learned a winning strategy that still works today. Specifically, NGOs that are successful at online fundraising have embraced a content strategy of
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regularly publishing news articles and blog posts focused on stories of hope and empathy that include a prominent call-togive which are then shared in email updates and fundraising appeals. Posting the same content on social media also inspires online giving, but as of 2018, email is still the most powerful online fundraising tool." (Key findings)
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"There has been a decline in trust in the media in the LAC region. While in 2004 nearly two-thirds of individuals reported having high trust in the media, this result dropped to only half of individuals in 2016/17. Individuals who perceive the media as representative of different viewpoints or who h
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ave high trust in the media are more likely to report being satisfied with the way democracy is functioning in their country. Citizen evaluations of media pluralism and ownership concentration do not correspond with expert evaluations of media environments in the LAC region. While experts might hold that greater concentration of ownership inevitably erodes pluralism, the public does not make this link." (Key findings)
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"More men than women work in the media, including in management positions. Women have joined the industry in greater numbers in recent years, particularly through recruitment of university graduates; radio has the highest proportion of young women journalists. A higher proportion of women had full-t
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ime contracts; freelancers (a relatively smaller group overall) are dominated by male journalists, particularly in provincial areas. Women journalists faced pressure on their careers from family primarily around security fears for journalists in the field. Cambodia’s journalists face many threats covering political and other disputes. Women are assumed to be more vulnerable. Men therefore receive greater opportunities for field travel. Nevertheless women covered almost the same breadth of beats as men, with the main exception being male-dominated crime reporting." (Executive summary)
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"These recommendations are given to media of all four countries as they are important for the development of media in all four countries: It is necessary to create stronger communications between NGOs and the media; to foster cooperation and trust between the civil society and the media; to act as a
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watchdog by exposing corruption and help to promote good governance and accountability by providing accurate, balanced and timely information that is of interest and relevance to the public; to carry out monitoring and advocacy work within state structures; give voice to powerless groups and put pressure on public authorities; to contribute to public engagement; to diversify the sources of information for news reports; to conduct vocational trainings for journalists on investigative journalism, data journalism, fact checking; to develop editorial policy and to follow it." (Recommendations, page 49)
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