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26 Nov 2012
Posted by Martin Peter Scott
Media, Power and Cameron: What’s next for media and development?
Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron has described media and communication as being, until very recently, ‘the fifth wheel in the car of development’. Indeed, a recent survey of relevant policy makers by BBC Media Action concluded that there is an ‘engagement gap’ between the perceived importance of the media in development and its actual prioritisation in development strategies.
Yet, in recent months, David Cameron has emerged as an unlikely source of optimism for the chances of this apparent ‘engagement gap’ being bridged in the near future. As one of three chairs of the panel charged with drafting the replacement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), his vision of development will play an important part in shaping the priorities for international development for the next 15 years. David Cameron’s vision focuses on what he describes as ‘the golden thread’ of conditions that enable open economies and open societies to thrive, such as the rule of law and the presence of property rights and strong institutions. David Cameron also cites media freedom as being one of the key elements of this ‘golden thread’. As he wrote recently in an article for the Wall Street Journal, ‘it is only when people can get a job and a voice that they can take control of their own destiny and a build a future free from poverty’.
However, if media and communications are soon to move higher up the international development agenda then there is much work to be done. Primarily, there is a widely acknowledged need for more robust means of assessing the role of media in the lives of individuals in development contexts and for evaluating the impact of communications campaigns.
In his recent contribution to UEA’s media and development speaker series, Dr Gerry Power COO of InterMedia Europe, a non-profit research centre, based in London, set out his own vision of what such research should look like by outlining 10 principles for effective audience research in ‘under-researched’ societies, specifically amongst young publics. Drawing on recent research with young people conducted by InterMedia in Iran, Mexico, Nigeria and Morocco, these principles included a number of reminders of conventional tenets of development communication, such as the vital role of inter-personal communication, as well as less conventional ideas, such as the imperative to capture the emotional dimension of media use. In response, questions were asked about the difficulties of capturing social media use, of analysing emotional responses and of the relevance of these principles beyond young publics and in other contexts. Throughout, the emphasis was on the complexities, contingencies and uncertainties inherent in analysing media use and media effects.
If the media and development ‘engagement gap’ is soon to be bridged then a robust set of principles for conducting effective audience research is vital. If we don’t get this right, media may as well be put back in the boot of the car of development.
More details about the media and development speaker series
Media, Power and Cameron: What’s next for media and development?
Alfonso Gumucio-Dagron has described media and communication as being, until very recently, ‘the fifth wheel in the car of development’. Indeed, a recent survey of relevant policy makers by BBC Media Action concluded that there is an ‘engagement gap’ between the perceived importance of the media in development and its actual prioritisation in development strategies.
Yet, in recent months, David Cameron has emerged as an unlikely source of optimism for the chances of this apparent ‘engagement gap’ being bridged in the near future. As one of three chairs of the panel charged with drafting the replacement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), his vision of development will play an important part in shaping the priorities for international development for the next 15 years. David Cameron’s vision focuses on what he describes as ‘the golden thread’ of conditions that enable open economies and open societies to thrive, such as the rule of law and the presence of property rights and strong institutions. David Cameron also cites media freedom as being one of the key elements of this ‘golden thread’. As he wrote recently in an article for the Wall Street Journal, ‘it is only when people can get a job and a voice that they can take control of their own destiny and a build a future free from poverty’.
However, if media and communications are soon to move higher up the international development agenda then there is much work to be done. Primarily, there is a widely acknowledged need for more robust means of assessing the role of media in the lives of individuals in development contexts and for evaluating the impact of communications campaigns.
In his recent contribution to UEA’s media and development speaker series, Dr Gerry Power COO of InterMedia Europe, a non-profit research centre, based in London, set out his own vision of what such research should look like by outlining 10 principles for effective audience research in ‘under-researched’ societies, specifically amongst young publics. Drawing on recent research with young people conducted by InterMedia in Iran, Mexico, Nigeria and Morocco, these principles included a number of reminders of conventional tenets of development communication, such as the vital role of inter-personal communication, as well as less conventional ideas, such as the imperative to capture the emotional dimension of media use. In response, questions were asked about the difficulties of capturing social media use, of analysing emotional responses and of the relevance of these principles beyond young publics and in other contexts. Throughout, the emphasis was on the complexities, contingencies and uncertainties inherent in analysing media use and media effects.
If the media and development ‘engagement gap’ is soon to be bridged then a robust set of principles for conducting effective audience research is vital. If we don’t get this right, media may as well be put back in the boot of the car of development.
More details about the media and development speaker series
