# Media viability in crisis

**Organisers:** GFMD, UNESCO, Free Press Unlimited, and DW Akademie

**When:** March 29th from 13:30 – 18:00 CET 

**Where:** "Amazon" room, [World Forum, The Hague](https://www.worldforum.nl/en/), The Netherlands & online

**What:** GFMD and its partners are hosting two sessions that will bring together recommendations on how to sustain viable, independent media and journalism to inform the contribution of the Media Freedom Cohort at the Second Summit for Democracy. GFMD is the civil society co-lead of the Cohorts Working Group 3, which is focusing on "Bolstering Independent and Diverse Media".

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[**Register to follow the event online here.**](https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAsceCrrj4rGdZ7Z8C4oJD-HEbxsqfb0X4V)
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## Agenda

### Coffee and registration (13:30 - 14:00)

## Opening remarks from event organisers (14:00 - 14:15)

* Mira Milosevic, Director, GFMD
* Saorla McCabe, Deputy Secretary of the International Programme for the Development of Communication at UNESCO
* Ruth Kronenberg, Director, [Free Press Unlimited](https://www.freepressunlimited.org/en)
* Dr. Laura Moore, Head of Research and Evaluation, [DW Akademie](https://akademie.dw.com/en/home/s-9519)

## SESSION 1: Tunisia, Lebanon and Namibia (14:15 - 16:00)

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This first session draws on discussions from the [**national consultations in Namibia, Tunisia, and Lebanon.** ](https://impact.gfmd.info/meetings/unesco-media-viability-jan-23)Local partners from all three countries will be present at the Summit, providing an opportunity to present the recommendations from the consultations to international policymakers, donors, and other actors across the media development landscape.
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**Moderator:** Saorla McCabe, Deputy Secretary of the[ International Programme for the Development of Communication at UNESCO](https://www.unesco.org/en/international-programme-development-communication)

**Rapporteur:** Dr. Maha Taki, Senior Media Adviser, [BBC Media Action](https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaaction/)

### Presentations: (14:15 - 14:50) 

#### Lebanon (15 mins)

* Roula Mikhael, Executive Director, [Maharat Foundation](https://maharatfoundation.org/)
* Ayman Mhanna, Executive Director, [Samir Kassir Foundation’s (SKeyes) Center for Media and Cultural Freedom](https://www.skeyesmedia.org/en/Home)

#### Tunisia (15 mins)

* Ahmed Amine Azouzi, Managing Director and Senior Consultant, [Pencils Consulting](https://www.pencils.consulting/fr/pencils-consulting-francais/)
* Khadija Maalej, Senior Projects Manager, [BBC Media Action - Tunisia](https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaaction/)

#### Namibia (7 mins)

* Zoe Titus, Chair of GFMD, Director of[ Namibia Media Trust](https://www.nmt.africa/)

### COUNTRY REPORTS: National consultations on media viability

The following draft reports include national policy recommendations based on a series of [consultations in Namibia, Tunisia, and Lebanon ](https://impact.gfmd.info/meetings/unesco-media-viability-jan-23)convened by GFMD UNESCO-IPDC and local partners (January-February 2023). 

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These draft versions are still open to comments.
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* [Lebanon report](https://impact.gfmd.info/meetings/unesco-media-viability-jan-23/lebanon#lebanon-country-report)
* [Tunisia report](https://impact.gfmd.info/meetings/unesco-media-viability-jan-23/tunisia#rapport-sur-la-tunisie)
* [Namibia report](https://impact.gfmd.info/meetings/unesco-media-viability-jan-23/namibia#namibia-country-report)

### Roundtable discussion: (15:00 - 15:50)  

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International media assistance organisations, donors and policymakers will be invited to respond to the presentation and reflect on how well their existing programmes meet the needs and priorities raised in the three presentations. 
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National and regional actors will be invited to A) give further examples of how media viability can be best supported in their country/region and B) respond to the contributions from international media assistance organisations and donors and give feedback on how responsive international media assistance is to the priorities and approaches identified by national actors.
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All participants will be asked to put forward solutions to the issues raised in the presentations and roundtable discussion. 
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### Concluding remarks 15:50-16:00

**Rapporteur:** Dr. Maha Taki, Senior Media Adviser, [BBC Media Action](https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaaction/)

## COFFEE BREAK (16:00 - 16:20) 

## SESSION 2: Support for media in crisis (16:20 - 18:20)

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A session on media assistance efforts in situations of crisis.
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**Moderator**: Tom Law, Deputy Director, GFMD

**Rapporteur**: Dr. Laura Moore, Head of Research and Evaluation, DW Akademie

### Presentations:  (16:20-17:00)

#### Perspectives on media viability in Ukraine (16:20-16:40)

* Angelina Soldatenko, Director, [International Institute for Regional Media and Information](https://irmi-ukraine.org/team/)
* Jakub Parusinski, Chief Financial Officer, [The Kyiv Independent](https://kyivindependent.com) / Managing Partner, [Jnomics](https://www.jnomics.media) Media / Editor, [The Fix Media](https://thefix.media)

#### Perspectives from other countries (16:40-17:10) 

* Ahmad Quraishi, Executive Director, [Afghanistan Journalists Center](https://gfmd.info/members/afghanistan-journalists-center-afjc/) 
* Dragana Zarkovic-Obradovic, Director, Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN)
* Isabela Ponce Ycaza, Cofundadora y directora editorial en [GK, Ecuador](https://gk.city)
* Fatemah Farag, Senior Consultant for Patnerships / Board Member, WAN IFRA
* Giorgi Jangiani, Researcher, Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC)
* Gordana Miladinovic, Member Center Coordinator, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)
* Laxman Datt Pant, Chairperson, [Media Action Nepal](https://mediaactionnepal.org/)
* Leo Munyao Mutisya, Manager, Stakeholder engagement and Professional ethics, [Kenya Media Council](https://mediacouncil.or.ke/)

### Roundtable discussion 17:10-18:10

{% hint style="info" %}
All participants will be asked to put forward solutions to the issues raised in the presentations and roundtable discussion. 
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
National and regional actors will be invited to A) give further examples of how media viability can be best supported in their country/region and B) respond to the contributions from international media assistance organisations and donors and give feedback on how responsive international media assistance is to the priorities and approaches identified by national actors.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
International media assistance organisations, donors and policymakers will be invited to respond to the presentation and reflect on how well their existing programmes meet the needs and priorities raised in the three presentations. 
{% endhint %}

### Concluding remarks 18:10-18:20

**Rapporteur:** Dr. Laura Moore, Head of Research and Evaluation, DW Akademie

* Saorla McCabe, Deputy Secretary of the International Programme for the Development of Communication at UNESCO
* Mira Milosevic, Director, GFMD