Supporting Local Media Voices
Five ways USAID is helping journalists amplify critical issues
USAID believes a free press remains essential to the proliferation of freedom and democracy.
Today, however, democracies around the world remain under attack and autocrats continue to repress the free flow of information and ideas. Despite this backdrop and at great personal risk, courageous journalists all over the world — equipped with a professional video team or simply a cell phone and a blog — are helping shine a light on corruption, stimulate civic engagement, and hold leaders accountable.
The U.S. government has ramped up investment in free media and today is the largest public donor to independent media development around the world, according to the Center for International Media Assistance. We are committed to supporting journalists working in some of the most challenging environments in the world — from Eastern Europe, Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, to the Middle East.
In commemoration of World Press Freedom Day, here are five ways USAID supports journalists’ efforts to report the truth — and works to create a world where they can do so safely and freely.
Boosting Youth Media Literacy
Fake Busters is an annual media literacy game tournament at the Molodvizh youth festival in Lviv, Ukraine — hosted by the USAID-supported Ukraine National Identity Through Youth program. Each team uses fact-checking methods and online tools to investigate news stories and debunk or confirm the information provided. The aim: to enhance youth media literacy skills which contributes to Ukraine’s society cohesion and resilience. This festival has become a nationwide platform for youth empowerment, non-formal education, volunteer opportunities, civic activism and discussions around the role of youth during war and post-war, national identity and youth policy.
Enhancing Media Reporting on Citizen Priorities
In Jordan, USAID is supporting civic engagement and media independence and sustainability. Through the Strengthening Civil Society and Media Systems (Sawt) Activity, USAID is supporting the media in providing relevant, trusted, and verifiable information to serve as an enabler for civic engagement and informing public opinion. For example, this includes training on collaborative content creation and dissemination approaches that increase reach and impact, such as the Internews Listening Post approach, which brings journalists closer to the pressing needs of marginalized communities.
Journalists trained by Sawt and its partners, such as Ahmad Salman (pictured on the left) from Ramtha.net, who is speaking with a local community member to understand the extent of the sewage problem — work jointly to produce content reporting on infrastructure services challenges that have serious environmental implications in Ramtha district and Al Balqa’ Governorate.
This training is part of Digital First, an ongoing capacity building program offered by Sawt to 19 digital media platforms, in its first cycle. It aims to advance their organizational, technological, and editorial capacities and help them become more sustainable, independent, and resilient in serving public interest and contributing to a healthy information system.
Amplifying Representation of Diverse Voices in Public Discourse
With support from USAID, Icha’s confidence is booming. As a live radio broadcaster at Boss FM in the small town of Batu, East Java, Indonesia, she is more self-assured than ever to discuss gender and other sensitive topics of public interest live on air. USAID, in collaboration with the Indonesia Community Radio Network, chose her radio station for a small grant — which provided workshops on implementing gender-sensitive approaches in radio production and station management for community radio. This program also assists journalists to report on issues relevant to marginalized groups, including sexual and religious minorities, to help ensure that diverse voices are uplifted in public discourse.
This partnership increases the ability of media and civil society organizations working on transparency and accountability to improve citizen engagement with high-quality, evidence-based coverage about issues of substantial public interest.
Advancing Media Literacy and Information Resilience
In Mali, USAID promotes informed citizen participation throughout electoral processes, with a particular focus on traditionally marginalized voters including women, youth, persons with disabilities, pastoralists, and internally displaced persons (IDP). USAID supports youth in Kita communities by backing theater and dance performances on media literacy and information resilience that also raise awareness about Malian elections, voting, and the political transition process. Efforts such as these prepare Malian citizens to make informed decisions regarding their role in the political transition and to verify sources of information.
Supporting Peace, Social Cohesion, and Reconciliation
In Kamburupitiya, Sri Lanka, two participants from the USAID-supported Prathiba Media Network (PBN), Mowin Mukshawa, 20, and Saduni Upadhya, 22, interviewed Sam Deerasinghe, a local resident using skills they developed through a series of USAID-supported workshops on community journalism. With the support of USAID, the Social Cohesion and Reconciliation project partnered with PMN to train young people to use mobile technology to tell more impactful stories about their communities in support of peace, social cohesion, and reconciliation.
About the Author
Jessica Benton Cooney is the Senior Communications and Outreach Specialist in USAID’s Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance.
